One Hundred Suns
by Amatus Vanitas
Summary: ...until we part. - 30 Seconds to Mars.  WaterAngel-Alyssa's 100 Theme Challenge again, all relating to RikuXion.  I'm open for suggestions and ideas.  Rated for safety.  101?  The Bonus Chapter: a series of untold moments in the challenge.  Complete.
1. Beginning

**Whew, first multi-chapter post. Go blame khfans100 again, 'cause it's all her fault. As usual. LOL, JK, darling. (Got nice hair!)**

**I'm just going to say it now - for all the wonderful love for this couple we have here, we do not have _enough_. This is my second contribution to that steadily growing pile - let's face it, Riku's not really going to settle for some girl that can't take good care of herself in a fight, right? Please enjoy, review, etc., and I would love suggestions. I'm afraid that I'm going to be repeating some scenes over and over if someone doesn't catch me on it or think of something I haven't yet.**

**Finally, all credit goes to Square Enix and Disney for this wonderful game series, and I don't own it or make any profit from it.**

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01. Beginning

Xion pushes herself up, clutching her elbow where he struck her so effortlessly.

This is only the beginning.

The imposter, this familiar stranger, has his back turned to her when he murmurs,"You could say that I am the biggest nobody of them all." He leaves her her in favor of the solitude of the Dark Corridors.

And Xion screams, screams in hatred and confusion, all because of him, because he's beaten her, because _she knows she should know him_, because she wants to follow him, stop him, embrace him, sob for him. . . .

This is only the beginning of their relationship.


	2. Dream

"I saw you," Xion whispers.

She hasn't spoken a word since they came here, back to the play island with the paopu tree. It catches Riku's attention.

"In my dream the last time we were here. When you rescued me, remember?"

Like he could forget. She felt so small, almost fragile but not in his arms. He nods.

"I must've absorbed one of your memories," she explains, head cocked to the side as she observes his reaction, "because I saw Zexion, too. Riku . . . You shouldn't blame yourself. You wouldn't have done it." She smiles slightly. "You're far better than that."


	3. Wave

**Gah, I feel horrible for not doing this yesterday - many thanks to Starry Requiem for reviewing! I really do appreciate it.**

Xion's breathing reminds him of the waves back home.

She is curled against Riku, wrapped in one of his jackets while he holds her up with an arm wrapped around her shoulder to pin the jacket to her. Serenely she sleeps, and he doesn't have the heart to wake her up so that she can walk back to the inn where the group is camped out for the time being in Olympus.

In and out, she breathes comfortingly against his skin, like the tide returning to the land, over and over. _She's_ come back to him, like before.


	4. Reflection

Xion stares into a hand-sized mirror, her hand rubbing her cheek as tears meander down it.

This alarms Riku. Xion doesn't cry that easily, or this wouldn't be the first time he's seen her. "Xion?" he calls softly.

Gasping, she swipes at the dampness. "I'm sorry, I just – needed some air and – and I wanted to see my reflection."

For emphasis she plays with the hair curling under her chin. Her hand never strays far from her face, he notes, and he wonders what she's seen in that mirror that frightened her so badly.

(He never asks her.)


	5. Pure

Riku knows that, when she goes, she'll fade into pure darkness. That's all she's made of, darkness and memory, and they'll all return to where they came. DiZ reminds him of that every time they encounter each other; there is no light in Xion, no matter how much she looks like Kairi.

All the same, even with the data and information, Riku is astounded. One of the purest people he knows – one of the kindest, most selfless of people – has no light? Could it even be possible?

The answer won't change the fact that he doesn't deserve her.


	6. Alone

Riku doesn't mind Xion dragging him around to see the sunsets as much as he lets her think.

Actually, he appreciates the moments with Xion; for an instant in time, he doesn't feel so alone. When she grins cheekily at him, he can even fool himself into believing that this can go on forever . . .

. . . Until the day that she pines for _her_ friends, until the day that she comes to him only to say goodbye, until the day she gives herself up to save Roxas . . . to save Sora, someone she doesn't know.

Who is he kidding? He'll always be alone.


	7. Spread Your Wings

**These little mini-shots are beginning to feel bare without an author's note at the beginning, LOL.**

**Thanks to Roco for the review! Funnily enough, I hadn't made that connection about Riku in 03. until after you said that . . . at least, not consciously. That was cool to hear!**

**Eventually I'm going to start writing more positive one-shots, but considering most of these beginning themes are sounding sad, it could be a while. Bear with me, and enjoy!**

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"When are you going to stop holding yourself back?" she says, swinging her legs off the edge of the clock tower.

"What do you mean?"

"You're always looking for something you already have. When are you going to stop 'redeeming' yourself, Riku?" Xion smiles at him, that same knowing smile she's developed after Sora liberated her. "Sora's long since forgiven you, Kairi's forgiven you . . . why don't you just spread your wings? Fly away?"

He takes hold of her wrist, reflexively checking her pulse under his fingers. "Because the thing in my heart killed people like you."

"Well, I forgive you."


	8. Paint

**OH MY GOSH, FANFIC FINALLY LET ME UPDATE. Ten days since I've been able to update. Sorry about that, but hey, I've gotten a lot done between now and then. I just finished #35 a few hours ago.**

**Sorry, this one-shot isn't overly RikuXion, just a light sprinkling in the middle. ****Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead03 for the review!**

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This white room that must belong to Namine is covered with her pictures, and Xion recognizes herself in many of them, always with Roxas or Axel or both. There's a painting opposite the window, this one with Riku staring at a white door.

Xion wants to see what she'd look like in one of these vivid paintings, to see herself beside Riku. . . .

Namine speaks then, and soon Xion forgets all about artwork. It doesn't matter; by the time Namine would've finished it, Xion knows the other girl would forget who the black-haired one was.

They'll just have to wait.


	9. Almost

Riku's running as fast as he can, no matter the pain or the burn or the darkness trying to take advantage of his fear.

If he doesn't get there . . .

No one is on top of the clock tower anymore. Xion was there, he knows she was – there were two people in black coats, and neither was tall enough to be Axel.

If he can get there in time, maybe he can stop this. . . .

Up the stairs, around the corner – why is he here again? Something important. – and then he looks down.

He was almost there in time.


	10. Shine

**Really quick shoutout – thanks to Sakura Scout for reviewing! (I broke someone's heart! I feel kinda like Larxene now.)**

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One thing Xion finds when she awakens is that Riku is _lighter_. His heart seems freer, almost shining now.

At first, though, it doesn't show. He's the Riku that she's always known – quiet, mysterious to most, one of the strongest in her new family – except for that one difference.

She stumbles into the other new change.

He pulls her behind a column at Beast's Castle one night, while no one pays any attention, and stares at her for a moment, breathing heavily. Before she recovers enough to ask, his lips are on hers.

. . . She can get used to that change.


	11. Blood

**Welcome back to Amatus' shout-out section. Today we thank XIII-Jinx-XIII, Toni Heart, XiXi1314, BlindingDarkness1, and DGMSilverAirHead for adding this story to their favorites, and we thank DGMSilverAirHead and Sakura Scout for reviewing a second time each!**

**PLEASE NOTE that this chapter falls under the T rating in this story for BLOOD . . . obviously. You wouldn't think there would be much in here for this being only a hundred words, but I just want to be sure. This chapter was originally part of a larger mini-story idea, so there will probably be follow-ups somewhere in this story. As always, enjoy!**

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They lie in a pool of blood, too wide to be made by a single person, Xion clutching Axel's wrist desperately.

Riku's heart is in his throat, choking him, forcing his veins to sear with his own blood. He leaps from the window with Kairi's screams in his ears.

The pool makes a sickening splash as he lands in it; there's no room to think about that, not with the half-formed thoughts running through his head.

How did this – ?

How long – ?

Who – ?

Sora's by him already, grabbing Axel's arms, leaving Xion to him.

"You're gonna be fine." His voice breaks.


	12. Pieces

**Working on a different story, only with Axel and Ventus. :D You'll see. Eventually.**

**Set sometime during 358/2 Days, somewhere in the middle to end - sometime when Xion's not around.**

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"You're sure there's no way to . . . ?"

"Riku," Namine says gently, "you know I can't. There's no way I can untangle Sora's memories from her."

"Have you looked? Are you working from speculation again?"

"I _have_ looked. Her memories are too close to Sora's now. Besides, everything you know about her was based on those memories. Even if I could separate them, she wouldn't be who she is now – she'd be pieces of what she remembers."

"They can't both exist, then."

"No. I'm sorry, Riku. She'll have to choose."

". . . Then the least we can do is make this easier."


	13. Lucky

**The word count LIES. LOL. Thanks again to ninjaeris13 and DGMSilverAirHead (maybe I can get you to smile instead of saying "Poor Riku" this time! ;) )!**

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Vertigo hits like a tidal wave, and Xion gasps as she reaches for anything that can stabilize her.

Instead of finding something solid, something solid finds her; sturdy hands wrap around her upper arms, pushing her up and pulling her toward their owner.

"Easy there," he whispers, and Xion's head snaps up – which doesn't help the dizziness – to meet Riku's smirking face. The blindfold is gone, and she can see both turquoise eyes beneath the fringe of his hair. "Little dizzy?"

"Yeah," she whispers – it's getting hard to breathe. "I guess I'm lucky you're here to catch me again, right?"


	14. Haunted

**Ha! You all thought Riku and Xion would be the only people in this, didn't you? JK. Shoutouts: thanks to DGMSilverAirHead (victorious!) and Dream Adept, whose name is making me extremely jealous, for the reviews; and thanks to Xion's Person, XIII-Jinx-XIII, and Dream Adept for adding this to their favorites! (I'm pretty sure I typed those first two names before, so sorry for whatever I incorrectly attributed to you last time. :( ) As always, enjoy!**

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Sora's good friends with the Beast and all, but he's not a big fan of the courtyard. When it isn't an ambush location for Heartless, Sora feels like its haunted. The sudden, sickening lurches of déjà vu don't help him; then, he swears he sees silver-haired apparitions walking toward him.

Not that he's superstitious, though. It's just _creepy_.

After a while, Riku sees what he sees there, and after Mickey relates the names of the seven in need of help to them, Riku refuses to go there altogether . . . much to the dismay of the source of his déjà vu.


	15. Figure of Speech

**Guess who's going to be a beta? Haha, finally! I've had this account since September, and I'm just now reaching the 6,000 word limit.**

**Hm, it seems my friend wasn't kidding when she said that no one likes Sora. I'll have to remember that... This prompt took FOREVER. I wrote it at least twice before I came up with a decent idea. Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead for reading and reviewing (I guess it was a tad creepy... LOL). Enjoy!**

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"Riku, watch out! There's a green-eyed little monster behind you!"

He whips around, hand at the ready . . . but nothing's there.

"Ha, made you look," Xion crows with a grin. "I'm just teasing you. Actually, it was a figure of speech."

"Really, now?" Xion promptly folds her legs when she comes up beside him.

"Yeah. Axel and I both caught you glaring at Roxas when you thought no one was looking. Are you jealous of Roxas?"

"Where would you get that idea?"

"It was Axel's idea. Riku, Roxas is my best friend. That's all."

Hope springs eternal after all, he realizes.


	16. Laugh

**Oops, updating pretty late today. Sorry 'bout that. Wal-Mart is entirely too big. Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead - ha, ha, green-eyed monster Riku; if I knew how to draw better, that would be way too funny! Um, if anyone's interested, there should be a humorous story from me up in a few hours starring Axel and Ven. Go ahead, check it out, you know you want to see what they have to do with eachother, LOL. (/shameless advertising.) Enjoy!**

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"For someone who likes to call Sora a sap, Riku, you sure are turning into one yourself," Kairi says mischievously.

"Yeah, sure," he says, which is the sardonic, deadpan answer she expected.

"I mean it. You're in love with Xion, aren't you?"

She expects a calm but definite denial of that fact, but it doesn't come; in fact, she can detect a dash of color high in his cheeks.

Riku _never_ blushes.

Kairi laughs warmly "with" him for a moment, until Xion returns and calls, "So, why is Kairi cackling now, Riku?"

Needless to say, Xion takes it back quickly.


	17. Fear

**Finally, a prompt I really liked writing! Ha, ha. Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead (isn't it amazingly fun to embarass Riku? LOL, that's probably why I like writing this pairing) and Namine18 (who woulda thunk? LOL) for the reviews.**

**This is an AU in which Riku is at the mansion when Xion is visiting Naminé, so, in theory, Riku could have gone and fought off Axel instead of Xion. (Lot less depressing end for her, I would think, and definitely for Roxas – wouldn't be left with his best friend dying in his arms at the end of it all.)**

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Xion's dark cloak stands out from the blinding white of Sora's room as she stares up at the pod, egg shaped until the base that wraps around the cocoon like flower petals. Always looking smaller than she is, she appears positively tiny now. Who wouldn't, he thinks, when faced with the purpose of their entire existence?

"Riku!" she cries, practically pouncing on him and wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, Riku, I've never been this scared in my entire life."

Like so many times before, he wishes he could take that fear away, but there's nothing he can do. Yet.


	18. Tainted

**Ho hum, shoutouts! Thanks to the seventeen people who read The Bachelor Brigade, LOL, and thanks to RoseDawson35 for favoriting that story!**

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When Xion smiles, he still sees Kairi, sometimes even literally, and when she speaks with that gentle naivete that has him hooked, he can still hear the similarities between her and Sora.

He wants to be able to share one laugh with her, one smile at her, without feeling like his consorting with her is dirty and has made them all the more tainted for this than they already were.

He owes Xion the decency of not imagining someone else in her stead.

The hardest part is that he isn't sure if they'll ever even get the chance to try.


	19. Angel

**Haha, fail! I upload this chapter without actually attaching it to the story. Ohh, man, it's been a long day. Sorry about this super-late update.**

**Why, oh, why is it so much fun to torture Riku? I just caught myself today, so I'll have to adjust that as I keep writing, haha. Thanks to Dream Adept for the review - yes, your name has me extremely jealous, since I found mine by finding the meaning of my middle name and one of my favorite depressing minor characters in a book series. Yours is just plain intelligent. LOL. Also, thanks to DGMSilverAirHead - guess what? It's not depressing this time!**

**Nothing much to say about this one, so read and enjoy!**

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"I thought you came here to be a 'ministering angel,'" Riku growls.

Xion ignores the annoyed tone – he's just teasing her and she knows it – but when he scowls, she has to work not to giggle while she fiddles with one of the spikes in his hair. "Nope. You've got Aerith for that. If I was ministering, I wouldn't have given you the flu, and I'm not quite as angelic as I'd have you believe."

"Really? You had me fooled."

"Sap. You sound just like Sora."

Riku opens his mouth to argue, but gets caught in another sneeze.


	20. Power

**DGMSilverAirHead, it's still light and fluffy. LOL, thanks for reviewing all the time! Thanks to FazzyGirl.22 for favoriting!**

**Nothing much to say. As always, en- do I really have to say it? LOL, enjoy!**

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Riku and Sora are probably the strongest people she knows, physically and mentally, and Riku can still kick Sora's butt and hand it to him half the time. (The other half, Riku declares it a draw, which never fails to make Xion laugh long and hard.)

He has that ability to make her laugh, which isn't uncommon, and the power to set her stomach a-flutter, which _is_ uncommon. He can still take her down in a single blow and make her see reason.

And yet, he is completely helpless when she borrows one of Kairi's skimpy shirts to go out.


	21. Close

Riku's hand rests on her knee, so warm that she feels she's burning. He's never this intimate when everyone's around, which is alright by her, but at the moment the others are off doing their own thing or being productive.

He's leaning in, so close, resting his forehead against hers. He's teasing her, dragging it out like this. His other hand never leaves her knee, while his other hand cups her chin.

She moves her head up to brush her lips across his –

"Thought I'd find you here!"

There's Axel for you.

"Forget him," Xion mutters and kisses him anyway.


	22. Nobody

**Time for some shameless self-advertisement here: instead of doing more of my homework last night, I made another YouTube video. Search "There's Really No Way to Reach Me" and go about 2/3 down the page. You'll find it. It sucks, trust me. But, in the meantime, we'll all thank DGMSilverAirHead and Sakura Scout for some more reviews. :D**

**Tricky thing about this prompt is I didn't want to do something cliched about Xion being a Replica and therefore a Nobody. Instead, I manage to get religion. :P Inspired by seeing the screenshots of KH:3D in the bell tower. Anyone else excited for that world? Squee!**

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Riku doesn't suspect Xion of being religious until they arrive in Paris together.

Xion stands in the center of a huge ring of light from the main stained glass window of Notre Dame; the space around her is quieter than the rest of the cathedral, echoes of songs floating around them. As his hand stretches out to pat her shoulder, she whispers, "We're nothing compared to the size of the world – the _universe –_ aren't we?"

He wants to feel her revelation, too, but the threat of Xehanort twists his tongue into saying, "Fate didn't make us nobodies in it, either."


	23. Alive

**Haha, never thought I'd contribute to one of _these_ types of fanfiction... I'm sorry that this is a day late! Typical Friday night - I made it home at 10 o'clock. Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead and Dream Adept (who I think I've now completely freaked out... ;) for reviewing, and to Radiant Silver Star and Knight-Dawn for the favorites!**

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"What are you going to do, Xion?" he asks quietly.

Face in her hands, Xion shakes her head slowly. "_We_, Riku, what are _we_ going to do? I don't know."

Riku resists the urge to throw the Way to the Dawn into a wall. This is already too much like those stupid dramas Selphie likes. "There are ways to – to end this, if you want."

"It's a _baby_, not a Heartless!" she cries. "I can't just get an abortion and pretend this never happened. Why don't – why can't we give this a shot?"

In the end, they name him Haruki.


	24. Silence

**Intended to be connected to number 11, "Blood." Like I said there, there was a larger story behind that one shot, and this covers another part of the plot.**

**Two in a day! LOL. Thanks again to DGMSilverAirHead and Dream Adept (who I think I've now completely freaked out... ;) for reviewing, and to Radiant Silver Star and Knight-Dawn for the favorites!**

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He did _not_ just say that. Did he?

Xion pushes him away, and surprisingly he almost stumbles as he backs away.

"Is that all I'll ever be, Riku?" she hisses, folding her arms around her middle, clenching her fists, protecting herself from getting anymore hurt while putting her heart on display. "Someone who looks like Kairi and acts like Sora? Because I'm not either of them."

He doesn't defend himself; his silence hurts worse. He doesn't know, either.

"Forget it, it's not worth it." She turns and storms away, refusing to brush the tears away and let him see.


	25. I Know

**Hm, probably need to go contact support again - I don't think my traffic is updating. :P Anywho, thanks to DGMSilverAirHead for the review - hey, it's poor Xion today!**

**This is set... well, since I don't have this game, I don't really know, but whenever Xion takes off with Riku the first time.**

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He should have expected this, but he is caught off guard by her question.

"I don't think it's a good idea." He should try to dissuade her. "I'm dangerous – "

"I know – I had the bruises to prove it."

"Even more than that, Xion."

"I live with the Organization; you have to be more trustworthy than they are."

"Not by much."

"Riku, I know you. I've _seen_ you in memories. I feel . . . safer with you."

"You really want to come with me?" She nods. ". . . I guess I could live with a traveling partner," he admits.

Xion sighs in relief.


	26. Warmth

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead – you say Riku's not good at dissuading people. I say he just doesn't _want_ to dissuade certain people. . . . LOL.**

**I stole a little bit from the novel/manga to use here; if you haven't read it, it sounded to me like after a while, Riku knew Xion wanted to see her friends again, so he had her stay in Twilight Town, the one place where they would keep looking for her, until someone found her. That's how Xion ends up there for the cutscene when Axel knocks her out and carries her back to the Castle the first time. Or so the manga says.**

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Wrapping herself into a ball, Xion huddles against the cold of the World that Never Was, still holding back tears that she doesn't have the right to release or the energy to let go. If Riku thought that sending her back to her friends would help her decision along, then he was wrong.

She lays her cheek on her knees, trying to recall the heat of the islands that are too familiar to her, remembering the warmth of Riku's calm confidence that all would come out right, relive his confidence in _her._

She misses that warmth now that it's gone.


	27. Mistletoe

**Bleh, I hate Tuesdays, and this theme is way out of season. Oh, well, you do what you've gotta do. Enjoy!**

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"I thought you didn't know anything about Christmas traditions," Riku complains, standing under the doorway to the dining area in Yen Sid's tower. Above his head, a little sprig of green leaves is attached to the frame, but Xion isn't underneath it yet; she's just holding his hands and laughing at his disgruntled expression.

"It's not like the others are around," she reminds him gently, then steps forward and watches him through her eyelashes.

He doesn't know why he's resisting this, because Xion's lips are soft and warm against his, and it's better than anything anyone else could give him.


	28. Never

**Could be connected to #17, "Fear," but then again, it's doesn't have to be. I'm not sure if Riku would be content to just hang around the place where he last saw the girl that looked exactly like his best friend for the last time, but who knows why he was there in the first place.**

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He knows that she knows. This is the last time they'll ever see each other, unless he changes his mind.

Never again will he hear her laugh, see her smile, watch her run, or hold her close, and yet, he is willing to let this last conversation consist of business and no emotion.

She smiles at him with her wise innocence, a contradiction that he's seen only in her, and bites her lip.

He'll never see her again.

"Goodbye, Riku."

_Never again_.

After she leaves, he stand alone for a moment, then opens another portal to follow.


	29. Say Please

**Y'know, I think the word count is kinda iffy on here sometimes. Oh, well, I know that there aren't 112 words below this section. Ho, hum. Set in the World that Never Was, during Riku and Roxas' climactic battle.**

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Despite his memory of her fading in and out, Riku remembers actually teasing Xion once. The memory is hazy, probably the next to go, but there was something he held out of her reach that he wouldn't give her until she said please. It had been heart-warmingly funny to hear the tone in her voice as she begged.

Flash forward a few weeks later; the rain runs down his neck, but that isn't why he shivers. He could've sworn . . . he heard her voice.

_"Riku, _please_, you have to stop him!"_

He never wants to hear her plead like that again.


	30. Moon

**Thanks to Sakura Scout for the review - and in case you hadn't noticed, Sakura Scout's posted another set of drabbles/ficlets about Riku and Xion. Go. Read. Now. LOL. The writing there sounds more intelligent than mine, anyway. Seeing that new story probably did up my motivation to keep working on this, so super-huge thanks again!**

**Set sometime before the end of 358/2 Days, while Riku and Xion are still together. Huh, I just noticed that I managed to be sad AND funny in the same drabble. Who knew?**

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"Didn't use to like the moon," mutters Xion. Her eyes are able to focus on him, but nightmares of Sora's memories scatter her ability to think clearly.

Riku takes her hand and intertwines their fingers. "Oh?"

"Mmhmm." She closes her eyes; when she opens them, the pattern of stars above her catches her attention. "Reminded me of Kingdom Hearts at the Castle. Liked the sun better anyway. Moon reminds me of your hair now," she adds.

He smirks, though she doesn't see.

* * *

"So, my hair reminds you of the moon?" he asks when she wakes up the following morning.

_Blackmail_.


	31. Black

**Huge thanks to Sakura Scout (The blackmail shall be used, I have decided. Muahahaha.) and DGMSilverAirHead for the reviews!**

**Fits the theme better when I first wrote it, but not by much. Oh, well, "black" is in there, so it counts. I'm going to have to pretend I never saw Advent Children, though, because I feel like Xion is acting a bit too much like Aerith when I write about her. Ha, ha :P**

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Riku's screwed up big this time.

Fading, fading, he falls into blackness – into Kingdom Hearts? At least he'll die peacefully.

He gets the feeling that the world is righting itself, that he is lying on his back, that he is not alone. When he wins the struggle to open his eyes, he sees himself – his Replica, standing alongside a man with earthy hair wearing armor on his arm.

He feels arms pressing into him, sees the black-haired girl holding him up, brushing his hair from his eyes. She smiles. . . .

When he truly opens his eyes, _she_ has sent him back.


	32. Distant

**You know what is the worst? Posting one of these drabbles, then having a _really_ good idea for them after you've posted them. LOL, thanks to Dream Adept and Sakura Scout for reviewing. :D**

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When Sora finds Riku after hours of searching, he is surprisingly on top of the Twilight Town clock tower, leaning against the wall like he usually does and staring off into the sunset at some distant place or time beyond the horizon.

"Hey, are you . . . alright?" Sora inquires. Riku doesn't give him much indication that he's anything more than an annoying bug, but since he's used to that, Sora sits on the ledge and observes the setting sun.

There is a pensive tension in Riku when he answers. "I remembered. The girl no one knows . . . she liked to come here."


	33. Animal

**Warning: implied sexual assault. This is why the story was rated T.**

**I guess this is sort of inspired by the VaniXion stories I see every now and then. That may not be my favorite pairing, but Vanitas alone is cool enough.**

* * *

Xion pants heavily, Keyblade out and pointing at the unconscious _thing_ on the floor. Never before has she ever looked this feral, like an animal cornered. There are little bite marks and red swollen areas circling her neck, and Riku's blood boils; he's left marks like that on her before, too, while she gasped and sighed in the night.

Axel kicks the body on the floor over with Roxas observing silently, furiously, revealing a paler Sora with dark hair.

"Vanitas," Roxas breathes, and Riku wraps his arms around Xion gently, without kissing her. He doesn't need to make matters worse.


	34. Mother Nature

**Eensy weensy bit of language. Eensy weensy. LOL, thanks to DGMSilverAirHead and Sakura Scout for reviewing - yes, Vanitas is an ass, and yes, Ven needs to gut him. But he's still rather awesome in his own evil way. And because I think I forgot to mention this last time, thanks to CylentKiaru23 for the story alert, and if you're reading this, Balthierthefallenknight, then thanks for favoriting Impermanence!**

**Set... whenever Xion is supposed to come back.**

* * *

"The hell are you doing out here?" Rain is falling in sheets around him, and the wind whips at his drenched hair and aggravates him further. The lightning streaks between clouds, illuminating Xion's awestruck, joyful face in purple.

Xion waits for the thunder, then answers,"I always liked thunderstorms. It was the only time Mother Nature let us see the Light at the Castle."

He hadn't known that about her, hadn't had a reason to ask before. That foreign part of his heart twists; he wraps his arms around her wet shoulders and watches the sky with her without a word.


	35. Free

**Thanks to CylentKiara23 and DGMSilverAirHead for the reviews! :D Just so everyone knows, tomorrow I'll be posting three chapters because I'm going to be away from my computer Friday and Saturday.**

* * *

"Why are you doing this, Riku?"

They are in Hollow Bastion, in the abandoned castle with too many memories for Riku. It's a place to stay, at the most.

"I'm a Replica – less than a Nobody – so why? Is it because I'm like Kairi?"

"You're still a person. You're free to make your own choices."

"If I choose no, your friend won't wake up."

"If you say yes, _you_ won't. I can't force you to go, Xion."

"You've forced others before." He'll force more.

"Unlike them, your fight isn't with me."

"Then who is it with?"

"I think you know."


	36. Not What You're Supposed to Say

**Thanks to g-peachy-chan for the story alert and Raixfeather for the review! (It's funny to me that you should say that you like that one because it honestly was the only one that grossed me out while writing it. I'm a wimp about blood.)**

**Inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs being on ABC Family the night I wrote this. I kinda want to play BBS just to play through the old, old, _old_ Disney movies, but alas, I'm broke and have no PSP. I have this really disturbing idea, though, that after getting to be so close with Snow White, the dwarfs are overly enthusiastic about helping black-haired girls obviously in love with someone. . . . O.o LOL.**

**First of three...**

* * *

"Found anything on that Heartless yet, Riku?"

"Not yet."

Xion nods. "Me, neither, but a few locals agreed to show me where they last sighted it." The locals in question, the seven dwarfs, circle behind her. "Do you want to split up and look around for any other signs of it or come with us?" Maybe this time he'll come with _her_. . . .

"I'll keep looking," Riku answers.

Crap. "Oh. Okay." She deflates the tiniest bit, but it's apparently still noticeable.

"Hey, sonny! That's not what you're supposed to say!" Grumpy calls.

Xion blushes and grins; surprisingly, Riku does, too.


	37. Rose

**I think I connected another theme to this one later on, but I'll tell you then. *Shrugs* Two of three... BTW, why would Riku need a knife if he has a Keyblade?... Just a "Make-You-Think" speculation thought.**

* * *

Escaping from the gala is hard, but Riku and Xion manage to sneak out a back door into the garden.

"The roses are nice," Xion murmurs, caressing a flower's red petals with her back to Riku. She lingers for a moment, and when she walks away, her fingers trail behind.

Something inside softens, and Riku strides to the rose bush. "Hold on a moment."

Xion watches him curiously as he pulls out a knife and slides it across the stem.

"You didn't see this."

"The knife, or the rose?"

"Neither," he smirks, and he hands her the rose. "For you."


	38. Protect

**Poor Riku, never good at telling people how he really feels... Maybe... :P Three of three! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Xion, we've lost you once. I . . ." He has to turn from Xion, caught in one shimmering beam of light, reflecting off her hair like blue fire. She's too beautiful, this too personal. "You've got to be careful. . . . I don't want to lose you again."

There, he said it.

The bell-like clang of a Keyblade striking echoes behind him, and he whirls around to find Xion crouching, Oblivion in hand, and a cloud a dissolving darkness.

"Who needs to be careful?" she giggles, hoisting her blade over her shoulder. Talk about déjà vu. "You don't need to worry about protecting me."


	39. Simple

**Wow, Sakura Scout, apparently you read this too much, because you can predict what I'm writing before I even do. And yeah, true, Riku doesn't need a reason, does he? I'm just referring to a character who never seems to die, no matter how many times he gets beaten, blah, blah, blah. It just might be easier to stab Xehanort and get it over with. And while we're there, let's go get Vanitas. Squee. Thanks to you and DGMSIlverAirHead for reviewing!**

**And I want to give a huge thank you to every last person who has been reading this story. While it may not seem like much, Thursday was the first time I've ever gotten 200 hits or more in one day. You guys rock!**

* * *

Riku thought relationships, in the beginning, were supposed to be simple – if not that, then at least straightforward. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, they start a life together. As for in-laws, Vexen and Xemnas were taken care of, and Sora and Kairi approved to the point of being pushy.

This is easy. . . .

. . . Or so he thought.

"You hurt Xion _ever_ – in any way – " Roxas growls.

"And you answer to us," Axel finished lightly. "Got it memorized?"

"Um, guys? Why are you holding my boyfriend at knife-point?" All three turn their heads simultaneously.

Thank God Xion showed up.


	40. Call Me

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead for reviewing again! Heh, heh, I want to see something like that in-game, no matter who it is that Roxas and Axel are holding at knife-point. I'd probably die of laughter and have to pause the game for a few minutes...**

* * *

"Do you promise you'll call me _every_ day?" Xion is trying to hold in her laughter, but it's hard when Riku has that amused-so-I'll-go-with-it look on under his ever-growing bangs.

"Every day that I'm gone."

"Good, 'cause I'm being serious." This isn't the first time they've been separated for different "missions," but in their line of work, one can never be too careful. "Take care of yourself, alright? I'm not going to be there to watch your back." She looks up at him through her eyelashes.

"I will," he promises, then pecks her on the lips cheekily and sets out.


	41. Impossible

**Note to Tetsuya Nomura, Square Enix, Nobuo Uematsu, and the mostly to the character Aerith: STOP BEING TRAGICALLY SAD. Thank you, that is all.**

**So, fun thing for me happened last night; I updated this story and left about an hour after to go to a little meeting, and when I got back an hour later, I had six emails from this website/ :D Squee. So thanks to the ever-awesome DGMSilverAirHead and CylentKiaru for repeat reviews, to Toni Heart and goldeneyes713 (who is khfans100 incognito, so blame that one for me starting this series at all) for the favorite story, and a super huge thanks to Master'sEnd for the review, favorite story, and most of all the favorite author! Means a lot to me, guys, even if I'm way too quiet about it. (And while I'm talking about you, Master'sEnd, I've been reading your stories without even realizing it. LOL.)**

* * *

"This is impossible."

"You haven't met my family yet."

"Sora's your family."

"My _blood_ family." Honestly, Riku agrees with Xion; she looks too much like Kairi to pass as her cousin.

"I don't see why we're doing this."

"This is just . . . keeping in touch. I can't tell them everything about us, but I can at least tell them about you and that we're happy."

Xion gives him an odd look. It must be hard for her to relate to that, he thinks, when she has no real family besides Roxas. All she says, though, is, "This isn't going to work."


	42. Smile

**This is actually the first drabble I ever wrote for this couple, even before "Impermanence," and I thought it would work. Thanks to Xion's Person for the review and favorite author, and thanks to MonMonCandie for two reviews and a favorite story! Add another person to the list of authors I've been reading – I'm thinking Terra is going to be in this series somewhere, I just haven't decided where. It won't be soon, though, since I'm up in the 70s now. (I write incredibly slow. Really. Someone else started a 100-theme challenge at least two weeks after I did and they were ahead of me for awhile. LOL.)**

Sora reminds him, with that crazy-wide grin that he always wears around Kairi and him, "You got friends – like us!"

And they are all smiling at Riku – Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Kairi, and Sora –

But that's not right. Someone's missing – two people are. Two girls, like Kairi. Naminé and . . . and . . .

Who is the other? He was so sure . . . there were two . . .

In the tiny space between Sora and Kairi, Riku imagines that there is a black shadow; a small, thin girl with Kairi's eyes but even darker hair smiles up at him, slowly but never tentatively.


	43. Love

******Thanks to MonMonCandie and Xion's Person for the reviews!**

**You'd think that "Love" would be the easy prompt in a series about a couple, wouldn't you? Turns out I have a tendency to make things harder than they should be. :P As a side note, I now have "My Hands" by Leona Lewis stuck in my head. (No, it didn't help me write this; in fact, it distracted me.)**

**As if the world name won't tell you, this is set after KHII.**

* * *

Love isn't truly sudden; catching on is.

Riku finds this out on the roof of some house in Radiant Garden. The sky is indigo, not black and all-consuming like her skies were, and the tiny pinpoints of light glimmer innocently above them. Radiant Garden is silent, and the sound of Xion's breathing fills his ears, fills his entire being.

Not for the first time he slides his hand into hers, and that's when the realization hits him harder than any Ethereal Blade.

He's in love with Xion, but as familiar is it feels, he must've fallen forever ago.


	44. Normal

**Gotta run, going on another trip and forgot to double-up yesterday. Have fun!**

* * *

It isn't until after the fifth skirmish or so that Roxas notices the Keyblade in Xion's hands isn't one they shared.

The Way to the Dawn fades in a cloud of darkness, similar to Oblivion.

"Xion, that's not your Keyblade."

Xion summons it again, and when it appears, she doesn't look surprised. "Would you look at that. Hope he doesn't need it today. I guess he could try to call my Oblivion if he does."

"And you're not . . . shocked?"

"Not really. It's kind of like borrowing your boyfriend's truck to run some errands. It feels . . . normal to me, I guess."


	45. Comatose

**STILL not sure about the seashells, but that's what I thought of when I wrote this. Thanks to MonMonCandie for the double review (I'm not sure about the Keyblades, either, but if Sora can use Riku's when the latter gives him it during KHII, then I vote Xion can!) and to Sakura Scout for the review (1. So, more fluffy? Wait 'til baby Haruki comes back. :D 2. Your secret's safe with me... Squee!). Thanks to Aika08 for the favorite story! *Tears up...***

* * *

"Is there a reason you have so many seashells?"

Xion looks up from the pouch in her lap to smile at him. "Roxas gave them to me before I died." Riku sits beside her, close enough to see but keeping his distance. She pulls a shell out and offers it to him. "One for each day I was comatose after we fought – and don't you start blaming yourself that!"

"If you say so." Riku examines the blue-tinted shell, then hands it back to her.

"No, you keep it," Xion says. "I never gave you anything but a hard time."


	46. Promise

**Story time! Ha, ha, a friend and I were hanging around when I was trying to write something for "Promise," and I was bored as all get out and couldn't think of anything not completely cliche. I complained to my friend, and she gives me this curious look and says, "What about a promise ring?" So, thanks to Val for the ingenious idea for a promise ring! And thanks again to Xion's Person for the review! (Oh, thank God, someone besides me thought that was cute. Whew!)**

* * *

It's just an ability ring, nothing adorning it, but Riku's fingers fumble as Xion gives him a skeptical glance. "You're giving me a ring . . . _why_, exactly?"

"It's something they do at home."

"'They' being Selphie?"

"Yeah."

Xion chuckles and plucks the ring out of his hand. "What do you do?"

Riku takes it back, holding her left hand. "It's like an engagement without the wedding. If you say yes, you . . ."

"What?"

"You promise . . . yo be with me. Always."

". . . Well, we've done that without the ring. Why not?" Grinning, she guides his fingers to slide the ring over her third finger.


	47. Cry

**1/2. Sorry I didn't upload yesterday; the site freaked out on me and wouldn't upload a new document. No worries, though, they're both here. I'm not really sure about this one. I watched Sleeping Beauty the night I wrote this, and it hits me that Maleficent probably has some revenge saved just for Riku... *Waggles eyebrows.***

* * *

"All I did was deflect Maleficent's spell away from Riku, and the next thing I know, I'm cursed!" Xion cries.

Sora chokes. "Cursed?"

"Cursed!" she wails. "I'll die when I turn sixteen – when _is_ my birthday?" With a sob she collapses in a chair, covers her face. "I wanted a little longer than this."

Riku can't stand her weeping, pushes himself off the wall to embrace her around the chair, holding her together. "We'll figure this out, don't worry," he murmurs. "You're not sixteen, and she didn't win last time. I won't stop 'til you're safe."

Xion isn't crying alone.


	48. Destiny

******2/2. Copied directly from last chapter: Sorry I didn't upload yesterday; the site freaked out on me and woulnd't upload a new document. No worries, though, they're both here. Make sure to check the last one out, too! And thanks to MonMonCandie and Xion's Person for their reviews, and thanks to veinrider for the favorite story! :D**

**Another AU piece. Whenever I think of an alternate universe, I always think for the _Fringe_ string theory, where life isn't a linear path but a series of choices that all lead to new universes. That idea was very prominent when I was writing this, along with reincarnation, Zexion's illusions, and the alternate dimensions he could trap someone in.**

* * *

This time, a reborn Replica huddles close to a Keyblade wielder and knows that she holds her fate in her arms, no matter who they've been or will be. Somewhere on another side of the multi-verse, Riku and Xion have grown up together, and they've always felt right together, like they were always this close.

Destiny is a fickle thing to fight. Occasionally Riku vainly tries to beat its current; sometimes he is swept away before he realizes he could have fought if he wanted to. Xion never fights him, though, and they're always side by side at the end.


	49. White Lie

**Thanks to Cheese for reviewing! Interesting that you should come to that conclusion, and I think I figured out where you got that literally halfway through typing my note here, ha, ha. (Sadly, I did have to look it up before I responded. LOL.) Thanks to MonMonCandie for the double review - oh, yeah, Riku figures out a solution; he's just not sure if he'll be the one to set it in motion... you'll see, I promise. And it is an interesting theory, it's just mind-bending when you think that the choice to wear a purple or blue shirt can make a whole new universe... *Shudders.***

**Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, and even though she probably won't read it for a while, happy birthday to GOLDENEYES713!**

* * *

"Can I tell you something, Riku?"

Their first night deliberately sharing the same bed might be the last if she keeps interrupting him right as he dozes off. "Yeah?"

"Do you still remember when you asked me how you looked in the black coats we wore?"

"Mmhmm."

"And I said you looked fine?"

"Yes."

"I kinda lied."

He has to snort at that. "Um . . . okay?"

"It was a little white lie!" she protests. "It just looked a bit . . . like a dress on you."

This time he does open his eyes to narrow his eyes at her; Xion merely grins.


	50. Symbol

**Guess what?... I'm halfway done posting! Guess what else? I only have thirteen left to write! Whoo! For reviewing, thanks to DGMSIlverAirHead, Xion's Person (to both of whom I say, I KNOW, RIGHT? Ha, ha), and MonMonCandie (Best. Mental image. EVER.)! For the favorite story, thanks to TOMMIGO and Infatuation-x! For the favorite author, author alert, AND story alert to boot, thanks to Infatuation-x! And have I mentioned Sakura Scout lately? _No?_ Well, then, thanks to Sakura Scout for the support! Y'all are the best!**

**Reference to 15. "Figure of Speech," with the green-eyed little monster joke. There was a rumor I read somewhere that a new symbol had emerged on one of the Kingdom Hearts websites, and the writer was debating whether it could be a new type of enemy. I guess you could call this a bit of my KH3 speculation if there is a new one. Wouldn't we all love the drama _this_ would add to the series if it were true? Ha, ha. This, therefore, is written to blend into canon but is doubtlessly going to be AU, just 'cuz that's how bad I am at guessing ahead. All the same, enjoy, and feel free to comment. I love theory discussions. . . .**

* * *

Xion sights it first: a little monster with green eyes – Xion teases him that he really _is_ attracting green-eyed monsters named Jealousy – with an unfamiliar symbol branded on its front. Riku thinks then that it looks suspiciously like a Dusk, but there are large differences.

Xion goes pale when Xehanort himself explains to them all that his latest insignia stands for Nobodies that found their hearts. Cold dread trickles down his spine like rain.

Didn't Replicas have hearts, after all?

Later, Riku embraces her, promises that she can't be one of them, curses the hell these symbols put them through.


	51. Element

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead ( :( ) and MonMonCandie for the reviews! MMC: It's not so much that Xion doesn't have a heart anymore, it's because of the fact that she _does_ have one again. The theory is that when the defeated Nobody and Heartless of a person are reformed, they are a new type of "thing," in a sense. I'm not sure how that would work with Xion, being that she was with Roxas and Sora, and it might not work at all, but trust Xehanort to get that confused if she wasn't just to ruin her psyche. :P**

**And as if that right there wasn't bad enough already, please forgive the general nerdiness of this one-shot; I thought physical science and chemistry were actually kind of fun, or as fun as science can be for me, and for some reason nothing else relating to elements would work in my mind. Go figure.**

* * *

Vexen taught her that an element is any substance that cannot be broken into any smaller substances. Xion has that fact engraved into her mind. By her own definition of the elements that make her up, Vexen actually has a fair part of himself in her, his "finest creation," along with the pieces of Kairi and Sora and Roxas and Axel.

Riku is a part of her, too. At first his influence was small, but now, lying beside him in the same bed, Xion imagines that if someone broke her down, her Riku would be the most abundant "element."


	52. On Top of the World

**Thanks to Sakura Scout (heh, heh, 1. you have a good point, and I never did explain how Xion got hurt in this particular drabble series, did I? It was already along the lines of her hacking the computer at the World That Never Was . . . *waggles eyebrows* 2. Oh, good, it DID come out cute. Another bullet dodged!) and to veinrider (Thanks! Good to know that the line worked.) for the reviews!**

**Related to 11., "Blood," and 24., "Silence," after the events of both.**

* * *

Xion hasn't woken up since her dramatic return to Yen Sid's tower, but Mickey swore that she would soon enough. The few days since that promise have been nothing short of anxious and tiring, and Riku doesn't sleep well anyway.

Tonight, he has the curtains open, his hand always clutching hers. He almost misses the shine of her blue eyes in the monochrome of the moonlight, but he couldn't miss her half-smile when she sees him. "Hey," she whispers hoarsely.

As beaten as she looks, that smile fills him, lifts him up until he's on top of the world. "Hey."


	53. Zero

**I swear on my life, this was written before Sakura Scout began her series. LOL. Besides, hers is better and it's almost the exact same thing. Hint, hint, go read. :D**

**MONMONCANDIE: I also swear that I did NOT forget you in the last thank-you section; you must have literally reviewed a minute, give or take a few seconds, before I submitted a new chapter. So, thanks for the review!**

* * *

_"Riku, I think you know what has to be done."_

_"Right."_

Namine is silent until DiZ leaves the room, following his path out. "Riku," she whispers, "are you going to . . .?"

Riku shakes his head once. "I don't need to. She'll choose the right thing in the end."

"Is it that? Or is it because she looks like Kairi?"

"Why does it matter?" Riku turns away from her and crosses his arms. "I have zero interest in ending Xion for DiZ. Even if she didn't look like Kairi . . . I don't think I could hurt her, knowing what I know about her."


	54. Snow

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead (Ain't he, though? LOL), MonMonCandie (Ah, young love...), and Sakura Scout (O.O Great minds think alike? Ha, ha, that's so awesome! Can't wait 'til Thursday now!) for the reviews!**

**Alright, I'm making an executive decision here: since there are two "Snow" themes, I'm combining them into one large, 200-word prompt, so I took about twelve minutes to write this. Don't worry, though, because I'm making the last chapter something of a gag-reel/deleted scene extra. :D**

* * *

Xion has always found different ways to surprise him.

"Xion? Why are you lying in the snow?" He can very clearly see what she has been doing; the outline for a perfect snow angel surrounds her, but Xion hasn't risen yet and continues to glare at the gray, winter sky in concentration.

"I'm trying to figure out how to get up without ruining the snow angel."

. . . He tries not to laugh, really, he does, but to no avail. Xion makes sure to glare at _him_ when he isn't blinded by tears before ignoring him again. "You could have asked, you know."

"What do you – ?" Xion starts, then squeals as Riku sweeps her up, careful to avoid most of the snow around the angel's "robe," and sets her down a few feet away.

A quick glance behind her proves that Riku has solved the issue, and Xion beams at him. "Remind me to bring you with me if we ever go to Christmas Town."

"You're welcome."

"Thanks." Unconsciously she huddles closer to him and his dry, warm clothes; consciously Riku rubs her arm in an attempt to cause some friction, or _something_.

"Come on, let's get you warmed up."


	55. Short and Sweet

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead (I know, I haven't been able to get anyone to help me even make a snow angel since I was five *pouts*) and MonMonCandie (he's slowly turning into a good boyfriend, isn't he? At least, I hope so . . . and the slaughtering via fluff continues!) for reviewing!**

**Requested and completely written for goldeneyes713 - you can tell who thought of it first because I still rather like Kairi, although we both agreed Riku's hair is too long. Enjoy!**

* * *

Xion's never seen Riku so horrified – not even in his memory of Zexion. "What did you _do_?"

"I just trimmed your hair a few inches while you were asleep," she says calmly, and she's proud that he can't hear the laughter she's holding back. "Hey, all the edges are straight. I think it's kind of short and sweet."

"You _cut off the spikes!_"

"So use some styling gel like you normally do."

"I didn't _use_ gel! It was natural!"

"Then it'll come back in a few days. Jeeze, you whine worse than Kairi does when the wind catches her hair."


	56. Friend

**Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead, MonMonCandie, and Sakura Scout for the reviews! I have to admit, it's absolutely ludicrous, to steal Sakura Scout's word, to imagine Riku with straight bangs, but no worries - if his hair is anything like mine, it'll be back to spiky in a week or so. The last short haircut I got was so cool while my hair wasn't waving for those first few days . . . and then it started curling. :P Pity-party over now. Look! It's one of those rare stories that's actually set IN 358/2 Days! What is wrong with me? LOL, enjoy.**

**EDIT: ****¡****Muchas gracias por la alerta de mi historia, Fille de Reves! No sé hablar mucho español, ****¡****pero estoy aprendiendo! (Since you're reading this in English, please correct me if I wrote any sentences incorrectly. :D)**

* * *

The crunch of sand distracts Riku from memorizing Xion's features. Someone is opening a Dark Corridor, and the shine from the runner's hair tells him that it is Roxas. Who knows what he's doing here – somehow, Riku has a feeling the Nobody is on the lookout for the girl held in Riku's arms.

Riku turns back to her before the portal closes. If Roxas is Sora in a sense, then Xion must be Kairi's equivalent. Even if they're merely friends, it will change soon.

In weeks that knowledge will be a permanent fixture in his mind.


	57. Test

**Thanks to:**

****Radiant Silver Star (*Tears up.* Sniffle. Thank you so much! :D Fellow Tuesday haters unite! And no, that's not weird; when I'm stuck on a drabble I'll go look up a finished one so I have one perspective. That's just plain cheating, so you're golden.);  
**MonMonCandie (Grr. You have the game! You've _beaten_ the game! I'm stuck watching YouTube. *Pout.*); and  
**Sakura Scout (Your fangirlishness is awe-inspiring, and it was probably one of the funniest damn things I've read in a while. LOL, Riku can totally hit that, and he probably will... *Hint, hint.* But I'm getting ahead of myself! Ahem, I completely agree with you about RokuShi, and good luck on your final! Blech.)**

**for the reviews! Good news, folks! (Or bad, depending on your situation. Probably bad.) I only have two prompts to go until I've finished this challenge! They'll be done tomorrow, I promise, though you won't see them for a whole month or so. I would also like to mention that the OCD part of my brain forced me to organize a list of all the prompts... in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. And I didn't make it easy on myself, either. I'll post the full list in the bonus filler chapter at the end. :P**

**Enjoy the angst-ridden fluff!**

* * *

"Every day, the Darkness tests my self-control to not give in when I know it will be easier." Riku has his arms crossed as he glares into the night. Xion's heart breaks with every glance at him until she can bear it no longer; she stands and crosses this tiny room they claim as theirs, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, resting her cheek against his back. She can feel his heartbeat from here.

"If it's a test," she murmurs into skin, "then you'll pass. If anyone can, it's you."

_I just wish I could help you._


	58. Princess

**Well, I promised myself I wouldn't update today until I finished the last two prompts. Did I make it?...**

**Yes, I did. Whoo!... Now I'll have to find a new project. Rats nest. LOL, anyway, thanks to MonMonCandie for the review!**

* * *

"Really . . . can't wear a proper gown at this kind of event . . . look like a _lady . . _. "

Riku's so dumbstruck that he can't even come up with a biting remark to defend Xion. Sure, the dress only comes to her knees, and her hair is too short to do much with, but Xion has the regal dignity of any princess.

Axel escorts her down the stairs, chuckling as he offers Riku her hand with a wink. She flushes, fidgeting with her skirt as she looks up at Riku, mindful of the crowd he ignores.

"You look beautiful" is all he can say.


	59. Future

**Thanks to Sakura Scout (Thanks! And yeah, I can't see a full-length dress. LOL. Go Xion!), Xion's Person (:D), and MonMonCandie (LOL. :D But I'm counteracting the happiness now, sorry...)**

**Be warned! The next week will feature, like, two or three stories that go back to #10 "Shine" and redefine the situation a bit. The gist of #11 will still stand, however.**

**I actually have a fitting song lyric this time, unlike when I wrote lyrics to "Blood" by My Chemical Romance on the notebook page I had #11 on. Hee, hee, completely unfitting.**

_**"Our future is for many of horror." - Biffly Clyro, "Many of Horror"**_

* * *

Maybe this is what it means to open yourself up to possibilities; now that Sora has set things right, Xion can't help but imagine holding his hand, making him smile, him wrapping his arms around her.

And then Riku kisses her.

_He_ kissed _her_. First. She just kissed back.

And then he ruins it by pretending it never happened. When she confronts him about it later, Riku is at least kind enough to give her an answer.

"We don't have a future while Xehanort's still alive. . . . I just wanted to know. I'm sorry."

That's twice Xehanort has stolen her life.


	60. Butterfly

**I know what you're thinking. I think I'm psychotic, too, for updating at seven o'clock in the morning. DX Thanks to Sakura Scout (LOL, apparently we DO think a lot alike. And I'm getting super impatient over here, how 'bout you?) and CylentKiaru23 (good to know! Thank you so much. :D). Maybe this will make you laugh to make up for the emotional outbursts...**

**This is what I like to refer to as growing pains. LOL, set in the Deep Jungle, in theory, 'cause they have the prettiest insects ever. I just couldn't fit in a location reference. So, I'm guessing that Riku found someone who's more book-smart than he is in the following selection. . . . Not a lot of pairing, but hey, you have to start somewhere, right? Enjoy!**

* * *

When Riku turns to snap at Xion to hurry up, he finds a butterfly resting on her hand, and Xion watches it with an interest that Sora never had and Kairi had from a distance.

"It's a butterfly," he explains impatiently, and Xion glares at him from where she stands. "We need – "

"Vexen created me," Xion interrupts in a cold, controlled tone. "I could tell you anything and everything about the theory of relativity. I think I know what a butterfly is."

A lighter-than-average sting of guilt lashes his stomach; he drops his blindfolded gaze when he mutters, "Sorry."


	61. Wild

**Thanks to Xion's Person (I know, right? Instead we get ice cream and serious stuff. Which is cool, too, but...) for the review, and to Anna-may Freak (I just got your name... wow, I'm slow... LOL) for the favorite story!**

**Ha, ha, ha, I finally learned how to spell "mischievous" without spell check! Anyways . . . I was imagining that somehow Xion got in trouble with the natives – how has yet to be determined. I, however, fail at conveying the back story in one hundred words.**

* * *

"Do you trust me?" Xion pants, grinning up at Riku.

He shouldn't say yes this quickly or easily, knowing how mischievous she is.

"Good, then run!" She grabs his hand and pulls him behind her.

At first he follows out of confusion, but when she glances behind her and winks challengingly at him, something jumpstarts in him and motivates him to run faster.

Xion slows for a second; he takes his chance and pounces on her like the wild animal she brings out in him, pinning her to the ground as she laughs.

He kisses her until her giggling subsides.


	62. Kiss

**Thanks to...  
*DGMSilverAirHead (you know what I just thought of when you said food? Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, when Jack is running from the cannibals. THEY'RE GONNA EAT XION!),  
**Sakura Scout (Inner shipper excused. It's creepy how much we think alike and how much you can take an idea I barely gave much thought to and completely explain it in a way that makes me go, "Aww..."),  
***and MonMonCandie (That's the second person joking about Riku getting some! You guys will like the next one. I promise. LOL. And glad it's still staying in character!).**

**"The Kiss" is back! *Runs and hides.***

* * *

Xion looks confused when she follows his unspoken request and comes behind the pillar, making his palms sweat. He clenches a fist, then releases it as he _sees_ the girl in front of him.

"What is it, Riku? You don't look well. . . ."

Without warning he takes her face in his hands and kisses her desperately. Caught off guard, she freezes, and he almost pulls away, but she relaxes and twines her arms around his neck.

It's better than he ever imagined. Better than he can have.

He lets go, pushing her arms away, and murmurs, "I'm sorry," before walking away.


	63. Sugar and Spice

**Thanks to...  
*Sakura Scout (Your blow-up was impressive and struck me with awe and fear. LOL, JK. It sounds like I'm staying in character...? I hope...? Blow-up and language are excused - trust me, I've said worse language since I was ten. O.O Good luck with finals and the upcoming RikuShi spree!)  
*MonMonCandie (LOL, love the first three sentences. Go after him, Xion! Maybe THAT's when she makes him explain himself...)  
*DGMSilverAirHead (Yeah, I think they were cannibals, 'cause I think the first mate who's name I can never remember said that they were eating him for some sort of ritual... And NO, I haven't! *Wails* Curse boys who know they've been forgiven for stuff and STILL don't think they're worthy of having a good life with someone they love. Grr...), and  
*Xion's Person (Glad you think so :D).**

**So, this was written with goldeneyes713 in mind, but y'know, it's now also for Sakura Scout and MonMonCandie for the funny review lines implying that these two needed some. I'm telling you, he's not going to be emo/Remus-Lupin-without-the-age-difference-or-wolfish-tendencies forever! LOL. Very much rated T; nothing is specifically stated, but it's pretty obvious... oh, and there's one tiny bad word at the end. :P Enjoy!**

* * *

Even Riku's arms are sore when he covers his eyes. Xion is tracing the lines of his muscle, smiling lazily as he turns to her. "Good morning," she whispers and presses her mouth to his in one of those slow, sensual kisses that brought them here.

"'Morning t'you, too," he murmurs, trailing down her neck and nuzzling that place where her shoulder and neck combine. Xion's hand goes lower and lower until she's _there_ again.

She's always sugar and spice; in the middle of another kiss, she pulls away and drags herself up with a grin.

_Damn_ it.


	64. Magnet

**Thanks to...  
*****Sakura Scout (ROFL. Oh, man, that's so funny! I can't quit laughing!... Congrats! *Bounces up and down in seat in anticipation.)  
*****DGMSilverAirHead (Oh, yeah, it's totally them. XD MISTER GIBBS! That's the one, 'cause he's the one that threw Jack's hat and had to get it back. :D Thank you so much!), and  
*****Xion's Person (LOL, glad you enjoyed!).**

**Nothing much to say - have two new stories written, but I'm not sure if I like them enough to post. (Guess the pairing. :P) Posted a new YouTube video. Got up at 9:30 today - that's the REAL accomplishment of my week. Pfft. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Xion casually props her arm on his shoulder and leans into him, despite the fact that she's playing messenger and is the only girl in the group of seven at the moment, grinning widely as she stares him straight in the eye.

Roxas says something, interrupts their little moment that might've only been in his head, and Xion straightens up to leave, chuckling at Roxas. When she walks away, his eyes are drawn to her like a magnet.

Sora clears his throat deliberately and smirks when Riku glares at him, but he's not the only one smiling and laughing.


	65. Temptation

**Thanks to . . .  
*MonMonCandie (I THOUGHT someone was missing! LOL, glad you liked that one. I'm guessing that the six guys in the room are all getting to know each other, and Xion had to barge in to give Riku a message from the King. So, yeah, technically guys' night out. LOL.), and  
*DGMSilverAirHead03 (I need to stop leaving the numbers out of your name... anyway, oh, yeah, but it's not like Sora can say anything about how bad Riku is, LOL.).**

**This is even funnier considering what Sakura Scout posted yesterday. So, we're back to T rated territory for, um, obvious mischief going on in Riku's head, the poor guy. It might be lacking in the pairing department, but he's still protecting her, so it counts for me!**

* * *

Ansem is not above using leverage.

_"You_ could_ have your friends back. . . ."_

For awhile, he tries to reclaim his host with nightmares of Xion, of choking the life out of her with his bare hands. Her face always protects her; she looks far too innocent and beautiful to him.

_"Don't you want this, Riku? . . ."_

Beautiful.

Ansem uses that next, offers the one temptation any man could fall to.

Xion is soft and warm under his hands; she gasps at his every touch, and _God_ does he want to. . . .

The darkness is the hardest to fight off then, when he wakes.


	66. Hero

**Thanks to...  
*CylentKiaru23 (Ansem is an _ass_; all the people who took the name "Ansem" are, in a way. LOL, thank you ever so much!)  
*MonMonCandie (Does that make _me_ low for capturing that moment? Hm... LOL, there is a ton of sadistic pleasure in this and you're farther along in figuring it out than I am. Thanks again!), and  
*DGMSilverAirHead03 (Oh, yeah, way hard. But he pulls through like always, which is why we like him. :D Thanks!)**

**Connects to and finishes all those stories involving "The Kiss." Kate Voegele's cover of "Hallelujah" was actually helpful this time, unlike Leona Lewis.**

* * *

"For someone who says we have no future together, you sure like to play the hero and get the girl."

When Riku looks up, Xion is leaned against his bedroom door frame, expression uncharacteristically unreadable. "Xion. I . . ."

Xion shakes her head and pushes herself forward, her deep eyes still boring into his. Taking his left arm, always careful not to jostle his wrist, she traces the newest scar on his forearm. "I'm sorry," she murmurs before embracing him suddenly.

This time when he kisses her, he doesn't think about possible or impossible futures. After this kiss, he finally gives in.


	67. Fire

**Thanks to...  
*MonMonCandie ( :D Thank you ever so much! I don't really know what to say to that... LOL),  
*Xion's Person ( :D And now he's never looking back. LOL), and  
*Anna-may Freak for favoriting "Impermanence"!**

**(This is not a failed attempt at shameless self-advertisement, but if you like these little drabbles about RikuXion, then I've got another little story in my profile if you haven't read it already. Just sayin'.) Anyway, we're back to the VaniXion. Boo.**

* * *

"We are the same, Xion," Vanitas purrs in her ear. His voice is oddly gentle for the brute strength with which he pins her. He leans in, sharply nips the base of her neck, sucking it before sliding over.

Xion clenches her fist tighter, breathes deeply like _he_ taught her. The fire where Vanitas touches her is not the same as when _he_ touches her; when Vanitas kisses her, the heat burns so fiercely that it hurts, whereas _he_ makes her gasp and melt.

"Pretend it's him, I don't care," Vanitas says, "just stay still."

Xion does neither, for Riku.


	68. Robot

**Thanks to...  
*MonMonCandie (Oh, yeah. Can you really see him as being passive if the opportunity is there? LOL, that's another funny idea...), and  
*Rapis-Razuri for favoriting "The Bachelor Brigade!"**

**Double-posting today. I hate going to the dentist. :P Riku and children... what about that doesn't scream "scary" at you? LOL.**

* * *

Riku's never been good with children, unlike Xion. Every times she sees a young boy or girl, she lights up and chats about nothing in particular. He just stares until they go away.

But this is _his_ baby, his and Xion's, and her tired eyes push him onward. His arms are at square angles, like a robot, but Haruki's blue eyes haven't filled with tears . . . _his_ eyes, and a tuft of Xion's hair.

Maybe Haruki can change him.

His elbows curve around Haruki, holding him as close as possible. Xion beams, places a hand on his shoulder from her bed.


	69. Oasis

**Second of the double post. Aftermath of 50. "Symbol," but if you don't like the theory you can apply it to any disastrous thing Xion and the others find out.**

* * *

Riku is pale and grave, and her hands shake.

At least Xion has stopped crying, and tomorrow she's sure she'll feel guilty for running off, but now she is hurt, bleeding, scared, lost, and without room to care.

Wordlessly Riku embraces her and rubs her back for comfort; her arms bring him closer of their own accord, but Xion doesn't mind, not even when her legs give out and he's pulled down on top of her. It feels _good_, and she can't stop.

This isn't a solution, but it's a temporary fix, an oasis in the midst of an emotional wasteland.


	70. Valentine

**Thanks to...  
*MonMonCandie (1. LOL, glad you enjoyed it! 2. Yeah, I know, it's either super-cute or super-sad. Talk about manic depression in writing...),  
*Sakura Scout (LOL, that's cool, I understand. Did you have a good time? And congrats, you've graduated and you're review #100! Ha, ha, and I'm guessing you're right and Haruki is gonna finish changing him for the best; after all, Mom helped with that some, too. LOL.),  
*Pomegranata for reviewing "Not Right," the new tiny story I posted two days ago, and  
*TheBlankOblivion for adding "Not Right to their favorites.**

**I have been dying to use the following quotes since I finished Re:CoM Reverse/Rebirth and watched the Hollow Bastion scenes again. At least this version isn't as sappy as the first two were; they were almost embarrassing... Anyway, this is implying that it's around or is Valentine's Day, that Xion saw more of Riku's bad memories than just the one with Zexion, and that she remembers reliving Riku's memories, which is how she knows what Ansem has said to Riku.**

* * *

There are more memories than she told Riku she knew.

_"Your heart only knows how to cast aside."_

Sitting on his bed – for once she was awake earlier than he was, maybe because she was planning something today – Xion watches Riku as he puts his shirt on, attempting to keep her breathing quiet and/or even, which Riku's smirk tells her isn't happening.

_"Your heart is hollow – except for the residual darkness."_

"Be my Valentine?" she whispers. She can feel him smile into their kiss, and she's going to take that as a yes.

Xion knows she can prove Xehanort wrong.


	71. Shooting Star

**Thanks to...  
*MonMonCandie (It felt like Re:CoM took forever to beat, but it was totally worth it to go back and re-watch the cutscenes. Riku's smirk makes anyone NOT being smirked at laugh out loud. Whole other story when YOU'RE being smirked at, I imagine.),  
*Sakura Sccout (Good point, he's always wrong about the nature of hearts anyway. LOL. That sucks to hear. :P I doubt that there's a hundred more reviews—for this story, anyway—but we'll see if I can ever think of a multi-chapter that isn't a challenge. Thanks, though! I'm thinking that I'll either re-write a oneshot I'm not happy with, if one can be found, and use "cards" with it, or I'll just add a new prompt to the bonus chapter. Deal?), and  
*DGMSilverAirHead03 (Inner fangirl excused. The "oooh"-ing and "ahh"-ing is much appreciated. :D Abuse of caps-lock is good therapy, and DUDE, I FINALLY SAW POTC:OST. OH. MY. You were right, it was pretty AWESOME. See? Caps abuse, I tell ya...)**

**There's a longer version of this on my computer that might be posted with the other versions of these drabbles, so if this isn't entirely coherent, know that there's something missing. The baby isn't a baby anymore! *Wails.***

* * *

"Are they here yet?" Haruki whines. He's taller than his mother . . . when she's sitting on the ground and he's standing.

Xion laughs gently. "Soon, I promise."

Riku comes up behind them at the same moment that his son points. "There, I see one!"

"Make a wish," Riku murmurs. Haruki squinches his eyes shut; when he opens them, there are more shooting stars.

"Mom, I wished for – "

"Nope," Xion interrupts. "Telling someone spoils it."

Hours later, when Haruki falls asleep, Riku kisses Xion's hair. "Y'know what I wished for?"

"Don't wanna – "

"Nothing. I have everything I want."

"Sap," she mutters.


	72. Positive

**Thanks to...  
*CylentKiaru23 (Glad I can brighten someone's day. :D),  
*MonMonCandie (Glad you like Haruki and his family. :) I'm thinking that eventually I might write a series of moments in Haruki's life until he grows up in which he doesn't know who his parents are and what they've done. To write or not to write?),  
*DGMSilverAirHead03 (Glad you like. Pirates are AWESOME. Let's hope we see some more Pirates of the Caribbean in the next few games, right?),  
*Sakura Scout (Ha, ha, "domesticated Riku"... I love that! I appreciate your confidence in me, but... is it bad that I already have the new prompt written? LOL. It'll be number 82., "Stick Together." I liked the other one, but I like this one even more. *Waggles eyebrows.*), and  
*RAINRAIN9 for the favorite story and story alert!**

**Connected to 47. "Cry," after Xion is cursed by Maleficent and it comes true. There's a good chunk of RokuXion in this oneshot, too—has anyone else noticed the huge potential love square in this series? SoKai, possible/past RiKai, possible/past Namora, possible RokuNami, RokuXion, possible RiXion... It's enough to make my head spin. And don't get me started on the BBS trio/FF VII characters!... Anyway, I started writing the longer version of this, but I'm pretty sure it won't get finished or posted. *Shrugs.***

* * *

"You're sure this is going to work?"

"Yes." Riku is so pale that he looks dead.

"You're positive you'll wake her up?"

". . . I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be that person," Riku admits, watching the rise and fall of Xion's chest.

"Is that's why you wanted me here?"

"Yes." And without any further delay, Riku leans over Xion, hovers over her as he parts his lips –

Roxas doesn't want to see this. All he wants is to know she's okay. He has to turn away.

At least he gets something he wants for once, he thinks when Xion gasps.


	73. Secret

**Thanks to...  
*DGMSilverAirHead (Glad you liked. :D I don't think I know how not to be a little serious anymore. :P),  
*MonMonCandie (I tried drawing this particular love polygon out for a friend once... She told me to give up halfway through... Good point; maybe that's why the world is addicted to them and I keep using them... LOL.. Poor Roxas just keeps getting slighted out of what he wants. Maybe send a fangirl or two to make him feel better? Or better yet, send Naminé in.), and  
*Xion's Person (It makes me happy that I check my email and have your review waiting for me! LOL. *Blush.* Thanks!)  
for reviewing!**

**Inspired by the tiny little clip of Roxas, Xion, and Riku in the secret ending of Birth By Sleep Final Mix (I think that was the game...) Riku looked like a creepy stalker. O.O Almost as stalker-ish as him on top of Memory's Skyscraper the day after Axel brings Xion back the first time. LOL**

* * *

"I'll be just a second." Xion smiles warmly at Roxas until he opens a corridor to the Castle.

She sighs ad puts her hands on her waist. "Alright, Riku, you can come out now."

"How'd you know I was here?" Whirling around, she finds a smirking Riku within an arm's length.

"I spent how many weeks with you? I know when you're around." Xion reaches for his hand; he actually lets their fingers intertwine. "Does this count as a secret rendezvous?"

"I wanted to check on you."

"Soon, I promise," Xion murmurs. "I've got to go. Take care of yourself."


	74. Runaway

**Thanks to...**

***Xion's Person (Well, we'll just have to keep up the mutually beneficial relationship we've got going here... A cookie? Thanks, you're really too nice. *Tears up... again...*),  
*MonMonCandie (LOL, so, it's _not_ horribly sad and depressing? Good. Means I did something right.),  
*Sakura Scout (:D And by the way, I looked up the number and found out that I lied. It'll be 81.), and  
*DGMSilverAirhead03 (Oh yes, secret meetings are usually the best. :) )**

**for reviewing!**

**Set after 50. and 70., "Symbol" and "Oasis," after Xion finds out that she's still not entirely human (or so she thinks) or whatever disastrous thing you came up with.**

* * *

The weight on the bed shifts.

"You really think that running away is going to solve your problems?" he says.

"Maybe not," Xion admits quietly, and when he opens his eyes, Xion is eye-level beside the bed, reaching out to tuck his hair behind his ear. "But if Xehanort wasn't lying, it's not safe for me to be here."

He can see the tear tracks on her face. "Where else would you go?" He puts one hand on hers. "Where would _I_ go?" His other hand is on the nape of her neck, bringing her close. . . .

Xion changes her mind.

* * *

**How Riku changed her mind is up for you to decide... ;-)**


	75. Most Important

**Thanks to**

***DGMSilverAirHead03 (LOL, it IS nice to see a vulnerable Riku every once in a while.), and  
*MonMonCandie (Grr, I need a good bashful smiley face. :D You're too kind. And there's some kind of connection between Riku and persuasion, but at least this time _he's_ the one doing the persuading. LOL. You will be proud to note that your wonderful last sentence has now inspired a longer follow-up to "Runaway" dealing with the morning after...)**

**for reviewing!**

**This is, like, the second or third time I've written about the same scene. :P I tried to keep it coherent with the other one, "Say Please," but they still don't feel right side-by-side...**

* * *

"'Her?' You mean Xion?" Riku can see Roxas's confusion; be it at the fact that Riku remembers her name and he doesn't or the bitterness in his opponent's voice, Riku doesn't care. Xion is dead and gone, and they have lost one of the few common interests they ever had.

Riku continues taking his frustration out, letting Roxas absorb it. Now that his memories are _there_ but fading, he knows he shouldn't be as upset as Roxas. After all, she wasn't supposed to be anything but an assignment.

He wishes she could've been the most important thing to him, too.


	76. In the Rain

**Thanks to...**

***MonMonCandie for reviewing (I hope you _can_ wait, because my brain does not think this idea is something to use paper for, but doodles are. :P LOL. I've always wondered that, too. Maybe if we'd gotten to hear a voice-over version... maybe.), and**  
***Demon Lord of Blood for the story alert for "The Bachelor Brigade!" (FYI, though, it's done, no sequels, no second chapters. :P Sorry.)**

**Remember how Riku had that blackmail in 30. when Xion was sick? Yeah, I think he's found a way to use that eventually.**

* * *

Riku's lips slip slide over Xion's as the rain pours, soaking through her shirt and sliding down his jacket. Her hands tangle in his hair to pull him toward her, then move down, pushing themselves under his sleeves until they fall away, gasping when he pushes her up against a wall.

He separates to breathe, so his mind can catch up with the rest of him –

"Thanks for the jacket!"

– and then Xion scampers away, pulling his jacket over her bare arms and leaving him scowling in the rain.

Little does Xion know that he is already planning his revenge.


	77. Ash

**Thanks to...**

***DGMSilverAirHead03 (heh, heh, heh, wouldn't that be too funny to watch?),**  
***MonMonCandie (Good news! You won't have to wait too much longer. I just finished it last night, so now I have to edit it so it's not quite as suckish, blah, blah, blah... ROFL, oh, that was funny. Thanks for that.),**  
***Xion's Person (That, my friend, is a question only one person can answer. Unfortunately, she's stuck inside a video game character's heart. :( Grr. And thanks again! Cookie for you, too! LOL),**  
***Sakura Scout (ROFLMAO. Originally I imagined Riku just torturing Xion by telling Roxas and Axel some very sappy stuff or something, but I'm thinking two-part revenge now: humiliation AND sexual frustration. And I kinda want to read the canon in your head now, because it sounds much more interesting than in my head.), and**  
***CloudKittyVII for the favorite story and favorite author alerts! (Y'know, I looked at your profile, and I'm really kind of honored that you favorited OHS; I guess it's not just me that sees the major canon potential there? LOL.).**

**This is connected to 33 and 68, in which Vanitas takes advantage of Xion—talk about completely opposite from the last drabble. :P Enjoy!**

* * *

After the fire and flames comes the taste of ashes.

How easily Riku can show kindness doesn't surprise her – he woke her up with "true love's kiss," after all – but she appreciates the fact that he's gone so long without a peck on the cheek or a lingering touch all the same.

Tonight, though, he tucks her in gently, and instead of keeping his distance on the bed, he lies close to her, gingerly wrapping an arm around her waist.

She tries to hold in the shudder, but he'd find out anyway.

"Sorry," he murmurs, withdraws.

"I'm sorry, too."


	78. Gone

**Thanks to...**

**MonMonCandie (Y'know, I've been noticing that I really tend to torture Xion a lot more than I do Riku. Bad me. :P),**  
**DGMSilverAirHead03 (Hahaha, 123rd review! That's too awesome. Congrats! :D And damn Vanitas! I would say damn the Darkness, but I think the series is leaning towards embracing it some... Yay! Ahem. Damn Vantias!),**  
***Ultimate-Sky for the story alert, and**  
***Sakura Scout (Y'know what the "booing" reminds me of? The old lady in "The Princess Bride." LOL. Sure will, Xion... sure will... Did I mention I love your head canon? Squee. Would it be imaginary paper...? IDK, anything works.)**

**Hey, at least _someone_ missed Xion, even if they didn't remember why... :D**

* * *

Swallowing against the hard lump forming in her throat, Xion whispers, "It's like I was never gone." It doesn't feel right, coming back to Twilight Town with all its memories and finding it exactly the same as she left it.

"Maybe for you." From her peripheral vision Riku turns to glance at her. "I never could figure it out, but this place seemed . . . emptier, when you were... I dreaded visiting the mansion more than ever." Xion almost giggles when he self-consciously looks down. "But everything's... lighter now."

"Thanks, Riku," she murmurs, and they smile when he looks her way again.


	79. Fire and Ice

**Thanks to...**

***CylentKiaru23 (Don't quote me on this, because I'm not Tetsuya Nomura and my brain isn't that awesome—O.O—but there is still a chance that Xion could come back. If Sora has to end the others' suffering, he'd have to find a way to bring Roxas back, and feasibly that would be what Namine would want, and while Xion probably just needs to know someone remembers her, if you've got the others, why not bring her back, too? *Head spins. Does my brain make any sense at all? LOL—you've watched/read _The Princess Bride_, too! All my friends think I'm weird for still adoring that book. :D),**  
***DGMSilverAirHead03 (Definite warm fuzzies. If she didn't already have them just from being _thisclose_ to Riku. LOL.),**  
***MonMonCandie (IT'S POSTED. I'm not sure which one of them has it worse. And I know it never happened, but surely Riku's noticed that there's a lot of blurry memories from working with DiZ? I hope so, but it'll never be mentioned. :'( Yay for "Aww...!" moments! LOL.)**

**for reviewing, and**

***Anna-may Freak for favoriting "From Yesterday"!**

**Imagine with me, if you would, the climax of _The Hunchback of Notre _Dame Disney movie. Imagine that there are two stakes with people tied to them, and two people chained up in the cathedral to watch helplessly. Which person is where?**

* * *

"I like how the locals accuse _you_ of witchcraft," Xion says nonchalantly, crouched in an _extremely_ uncomfortable position, but she's not about to complain to Riku about that when he's just woken up. He massages his wrist where the rope burned his skin; Xion doesn't take his hands and hold them to her.

"Just because you're better at magic than I am . . ." Riku teases, easily matching her casual tone. He hesitates, though, before reaching for her himself.

She shudders at the memory of his skin pressed against her icy body as they rode though the flames and holds him tighter.


	80. Stick Together

**Thanks to...**

***DGMSilverAirHead (Nope, he just does what comes to mind and at least accepts the concequences later. XD) for reviewing, and  
*MonMonCandie (THoND is**** probably my third-favorite Disney movie anymore, after Tangled and Hercules. So, you're right, Frollo accused him... but how painful would my death be if I said Frollo only caught him because Riku and Xion were trying to protect each other? XD There is a little bit of a story behind that drabble that relates to the love triangle in the movie—care to guess the pairings? Riku's and Xion's positions should help give you a little clue on the triangle according to Xion... Even if you say I don't, I'm gonna have to write that, too, aren't I? :P Oh, well. The important thing is, Xion and Riku get to safety, and Riku stays with Xion after all!) for reviewing both OHS and "From Yesterday" and favoriting the latter.**

**Y'know, I'm beginning to think I should stick with replying to a review with a PM. XD Oh, well, I like teasing all of you readers, too. This is the new version of "Stick Together"; the other one took place in Olympus Coliseum with the Muses, but Sakura Scout requested something with cards and I couldn't convince myself not to try this... Besides, it kinda goes with the rather steamy and super funny chapter she posted two days ago. *Waggles eyebrows.* I think Xion really, _really_ wants Riku's shirt off. o.O**

* * *

"Remind me again why we're playing card games?"

"Because Axel, Roxas, and I aren't the only Organization members who've come back. If Luxord is back, you need to learn how to play poker. Ante up or fold."

"Um, I'll raise you... a glove."

"A glove? Come on, Riku. I'll raise you a_ shirt._"

"Oh, _God."_

"Heh, heh."

"So, why do we have to play strip poker?"

"Stop distracting me."

"No, seriously."

"Because Luxord has an odd obsession with asking me to play this game."

"What the hell?"

"That's why we're sticking together if he shows up. Now, _would you fold?_"


	81. Goodbye

**Thanks to...**

***DGMSilverAirHead03 (LOL, glad you liked!),  
*Sakura Scout (Ha, ha, ha, PERFECT song. See, if Rob Pattinson shows that much skin, I barf; when Riku—a _videogame character—_does it, _everyone_ smiles. LOL, no problem! Glad you liked it.), and  
*****anabel the lady shark for favoriting "Not Right"!**

**EDIT: The _hell?_ My damned email failed me when I needed it most! :P More people to thank:**

***MonMonCandie (OMG, how could I forget TLK? HOW? You're right, I don't think Luxord could just play normal poker. Heh, heh, but you think he would be used to Xion wanting him shirtless by now... Hm... Oh, don't worry, it won't be a drabble. Entirely too long in my head. :P If I ever write it. Which I probably won't. OMG, _Frollo?_ That's even better than what was going in my head! Makes much more sense, though; Frollo probably has a black-haired fetish.), and  
*Xion's Person (Can we honestly blame her?... Well, if he'd been a real person, would we? LOL.)**

**Hey, if my email ever goes bonkers on me again and I leave you out, just PM me or something. Please. I feel like a shmuck, so I won't be using my email for thank-yous for awhile.**

**...Aaand we're back to sad-bordering-on-depressing... LOL.**

* * *

Xion doesn't know what to say, now that she's at the end.

Riku doesn't act out of order when she tells him that she's going, and he sounds calm when he tells her where to go, but something hangs in the space between her "thank you" and the last thing she'll get to say to him.

She should've thought about how to tell him how much she appreciates him, how much she'll miss him. . . . She hoped he would even admit that he'd miss her, but she's always doubted he would. . . .

She settles for a simple goodbye and words left unsaid.


	82. Clear

**Thanks to...**

***DGMSilverAirHead03 (Me, neither, and I never even got to play the game... Boo! Mr. Nomura, sir, I need another console game, please... LOL.), and  
*MonMonCandie (Really, they should, because I'll be super pissed if Roxas comes back without Xion. That would be so _lame_... And technically, you were wrong, but I'm thinking that if I do write the long version, a few hints of that might get included in the story. It;s sick and wrong, but I _love_ that idea! All the evil guys—Vanitas, Luxord, and now Frollo have a thing for Xion! EW! Ha, ha.)**

**for reviewing, and thanks to CloudKittyVII for favoriting OHS and for the author alert!**

**As you can imagine, I got super sick of the word "clear" by the end of this drabble, and for that reason alone it's not my favorite. Set during the forty days Riku and Xion got to know each other... *Gagging due to the sheer amount of fluff...***

* * *

It's been two weeks since Xion came with him, and already she's changing his outlook on life.

Even looking through black fabric, the world around them is bright and beautiful when he wakes up beside her. It's clear to him that this is how he wants to live for the rest of whatever life he has, and it's more than clear that Xion is the one he wants by his side very morning, just for making him feel this way now.

It's clear that he'll have to wait for the first, and it's unclear if he'll ever get the second.


	83. Memory

**Thanks to...**

**fire spirit for favoriting "The Bachelor Brigade,"  
Xion's Person for favoriting "From Yesterday" and for reviewing (Exactly. Everyone needs fluffies... Thank you!), and  
MonMonCandie for reviewing (*Shudders.* EW. I never got that crack pairing either. *Sing-song:* Riku's turning into a sa-ap! LOL. He's just a big, armor-plated teddy bear with lotsa soft spots for his friends, isn't he?)**

* * *

Her eyes are Sora's, though she looks like Kairi.

Riku's heart skips a beat inside his chest when she smiles sadly. "You don't remember me yet, do you?"

No, he doesn't, but his heart _knows_ her; it skips another beat. Unconsciously he extends a hand, within inches of touching her but hesitating. She completely replaced Sora—who knows what else she's capable of?

Her smile lights up a bit, but all the same she pushes his hand away. "Riku..."

It hits him harder than any blow he's physically taken, hard enough to knock him down.

His memory finally cleared.

_Xion._


	84. Imagination

**Thanks to...**

**MonmonCandie for reviewing (Yay! Took ya long enough, Riku. LOL, JK. Personality-wise she's even an all-in-one. Xion's just glad she gets to see him again and that _someone_ remembers. :D Yay for bittersweetness...?),**

**Sakura Scout for reviewing (I like that, "phantom-limb..." Might be stealing that with credit. DO IT. The voices in your head command you to write more. Forget that, _Amatus begs. Please_. LOL. But only after you are satisfied with your current project, of course. :D And whoo! Someone likes my line! LOL.), and**

**CloudKittyVII for reviewing, but I had to reply to hers by PM because I was rambling. Badly. LOL :D**

**Written on the back of a Subway cookie bag. Oh, yeah, I feel like J. K. Rowling now. I asked goldeneyes713 to give me a word once when I was bored so I could write a drabble; it turned out that her word was 85 on the list, so it's included here. And while I'm blogging about life, anyone here heard the new Paramore song, "Monster"? It's featured on the new Transformers movie, so I wasn't necessarily ready for the Farro-bashing that ensued. Otherwise, the song reminds me of KH-Riku, before Ansem possesses him. It's a cool song, cool enough to let me forgive Hayley for being on the cover of Cosmo... for the most part. :P ANYWAY, enjoy!**

* * *

Xion's wide blue eyes are looking at him and through him, but her question is directed at the Riku in front of her. "Who do you think we would have been?"

"Hmm?"

"You know, if we had been normal people without Replicas or the powers of Darkness."

"You're asking me to consider life without everything that's made us this way."

"Yeah. It's called imagination. Most normal people have one."

"So I guess that leaves you out, too."

"Oh, just think about it."

"Well, I think we'd have been a lot less stressed, but a lot more boring."

"I-mag-in-a-tion. _Use it_."


	85. Parents

**Thanks to...**

**Sakura Scout (See? You did it again. You're able to dissect Riku's [a.k.a. my] subconscious. LOL, very true, but then again... :D Have fun drooling!),**

**MonMonCandie for reviewing (:D Or are we going back to the Fringe theory where they _did_ meet, but not as they are here? Parallel universes suck, especially because anything could have happened in theory. I think in most universes, though, you're right and they never would have met. Although... nah, Riku would be too honest to consider a fling with his best friend's daughter... wouldn't he? *Shot multiple times. Well, look at it where I'm from! Xion's practically Sora and Kairi's lovechild—like you mentioned... Shutting up now. :D),**

**Xion's Person for reviewing (:D), and**

**TheBlankOblivion (Again with the cool names. Grr...) for favoriting "From Yesterday"! I have that song stuck in my head AGAIN.**

**Why is it so much fun to make Kairi that extremely feminist/overzealous friend? You know which one I'm talking about, or you will when I'm done with this prompt.**

* * *

Xion's breath slides over his ear as she whispers, "They found out."

"Already?" he groans.

"Blame Sora. He's the one that said I'm practically 'glowing' lately, then Axel made a pregnant joke, and suddenly everyone knew we're going to be parents."

"I suppose I should avoid Kairi for a while." Xion nods her agreement –

She grabs his hand suddenly, holds it to her stomach. Caught by surprise, he freezes, waiting. . . .

There it is, nudging against his hand. Xion looks up at him, awe evident everywhere on her face, matching the feeling rising in him.

This is completely worth Kairi's wrath.


	86. Battlefield

**Thanks to MonMonCandie for reviewing! (:D Baby Haruki's back! Sort of. I'm guessing you're right about Kairi; either that, or she's been hanging out with Selphie too long, and you definitely get _that_ impression from her. LOL.)**

**I STILL do not like this one...! Riku may have changed a lot since the original KH, but let's face it—the guy's still got enough ego that he'll never be able to take getting beaten by a girl!**

* * *

It was supposed to be a simple warm-up.

One second Xion has Riku at her mercy, via summoned Keyblade at his throat; the next she's parrying as he closes in.

"Y'know, Xion, you're really pretty when you fight." Xion pushes against his weapon, but he can push back harder. "We might have to do this more often."

Xion doesn't react. Sighing, Riku forces his blade down farther –

– and falls flat on his face.

"That was low!"

"All's fair in love and war." Xion offers her hand. "Just be glad I'm on your side of the battlefield."

"Doesn't feel like it..."


	87. Dawn

**Thanks to...  
**

**CloudKittyVII (Aw, really, don't worry 'bout it. I'm patient. Really...), and**

**MonMonCandie for reviewing (Heh, heh, heh, childish Riku... And for one time in his life, Riku was going to fight fair because it was a girl he knew... Who else imagines that round two will be much dirtier and trickier and that Xion will probably lose there? LOL, thank you!).**

**Yay, a _Days_ prompt! LOL. Enjoy!**

* * *

Xion has her knees drawn up to her chest and rests her head on them, staring at the horizon through a thicket of trees. As Riku wakes, she speaks, almost to herself. "Dawn isn't very different from dusk, is it? Only beginnings instead of endings."

Without thinking, she reaches out for his hand, and without hesitation he takes it. He even slips the blindfold up, but he recovers his eyes before Xion turns to see.

Until the day that she goes back, they share the dawn. Roxas and Axel can keep sunsets with her; Riku, after all, gets the beginnings.


	88. Sapphire

**Thanks to...**

**CylentKairu23 (Glad to hear it! Hope is good. You and me both, pal; even if Mr. Nomura-*Bows respectfully—never decides to officially pair up more characters than Sora and Kairi, it's nice to know that our main characters will have more options than people who are either dead, missing, controlled by darkness, and/or have no heart. :P), and **

**MonMonCandie (LOL. Thanks! Yay, so the whole dusk vs. dawn thing works! Yay... Ahem. :D Thanks again!)**

**Sorry for the late update... Busy Father's Day. Hope you're all enjoying it to some degree!**

**Yeah... I lied to myself. I've been trying to keep this as "in-canon" as possible with "Impermanence," which is why this scene only comes as number 89—I finally gave up the ghost and said either "Impermanence" didn't happen or Riku didn't think it was worth not saying it. Does that make any sense? Even if not, enjoy!**

* * *

Xion lies flush against him, resting her head on his arm and forehead leaning on his shoulder. Riku's hand plays with her hair absentmindedly as he revels in the warmth of their arrangement.

Contentment fills him so completely that it overflows. "I love you," he whispers.

They've established it everywhere else, but neither has said it.

Xion lifts her head quickly to stare, dumbfounded, into his eyes. He matches her disbelieving gaze – why wouldn't he when her eyes are so beautiful, like sapphires? – while she blinks and works her jaw until sound comes out.

"I love you, too."


	89. Crystal

**Thanks to ****MonMonCandie (Riku totally threw Xion off, LOL; "Hey, that's my line!" kinda thing. :D) for reviewing!**

**Well, people, after this we've got ten left. Scary thought. And I'm going to chalk up the whacky side of this drabble to writing late at night and having to rewrite teh last line several times, but hey, I still like it! Do you? Enjoy!**

* * *

It's funny – she knows everything and _nothing_ about him. She knows why the darkness comes so easily, how his own light hesitates at the surface; the rest of the world knows how his hair turns to gold in the sunset light, how clear his eyes are despite everything they hide. She sees what they don't, and vice versa.

Lightly she traces the dark rings under his eyes, brushes her thumb over his cheek, smiles when he shivers. His crystal eyes reflect beauty at the world, magnifying what she looks for.

Tonight's a good night to see what they see.


	90. Player

**Thanks to...**

**MonMonCandie for reviewing (You're telling me. I was still in school when I started writing this... :P The last chapter should hopefully be good—six pages of extra stuff! It's funny, Xion knows more about him than most people in the universe, but she hasn't known him long enough and didn't see him often enough to know every physical thing about him... unlike Kairi. His eyes _are_ pretty... :D), and**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (Glad you liked it! :D) for reviewing!**

* * *

"Riku, I don't think your friends like me anymore."

Xion puts a soaking wet arm around Riku while Tidus and Wakka trudge behind, Wakka watching the pair interact and Tidus glowering. "What did you do to them?"

"Beat them at their own game. . . ."

"Ya gotta admit, Tidus, she played good," Wakka interrupts.

Tidus perks up. "Yeah, she's almost as good a _player_ as _Riku_ was. . . ."

Wakka chuckles at Xion's nonplussed expression. "Oh, ya, just ask Selphie. . . ."

"Riku, I think we need to have a talk." Xion drags him to the play island with Tidus's and Wakka's snickers in their wake.

* * *

**The unheard exchange that comes after that:**

**"Xion, do you believe them?"**

**"No, I just wanted away so I could do _this_. . . . *Glomp.*"**


	91. Shield

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (LOL, good! Thanks.) for reviewing,**

**MonMonCandie (LOL, priceless... not to mention the "What the hell were you thinking, going out with Selphie?" discussion after revenge... Heh, heh...) for reviewing, and**

**Xion's Person ( :D IDK why Selphie's so weird... She just has that potential to go overboard on the romantic/mushy stuff... Plus, what girl on that island—besides Kairi, :P—wouldn't chase Riku? LOL.) for reviewing!**

**Xion pulls an Aqua!... As if the four KH girls weren't enough alike already. :P**

* * *

Riku, Sora, and Xehanort are high above the seas of Heartless she and the others are fighting, and another wave of nausea hits when she sees _his_ silver hair.

Xion turns away to finish a Heartless, and when she turns back, Riku is airborne.

Her heart stops when he's knocked back, and without a second thought she points her Keyblade at him and cries, _"Reflect!"_

Good thing, too, because Xehanort sends a fatal spell that never lands, dissolving the shield.

Even as she falls to her knees, gasping for air, she grins. She and Aqua can do this much.


	92. Opposite

**Thanks to...**

**MonMonCandie (THE battle with Xehanort. ;D Go Xion! LOL, I'm getting the feeling that all the KH girls are going to be better at magic than their male counterparts—all because of Aqua. :D) for reviewing, and**

**Aika08 (Thanks! I love the recurring themes and climaxes in the series; déjà vu is cool, until it happens to you. :P LOL) for reviewing!**

**I needed Mickey interaction. He's one of Riku's closest friends and allies, and I've only brought him up once? For shame! What kinda fangirl am I? LOL.**

* * *

"This is completely opposite of the life I thought I'd have," Riku admits.

Mickey observes the way Riku's eyes follow Xion as she spars against Roxas and Axel, how he tenses when they both leap, relaxing when she ducks under them and hits Roxas in the back of the head. "What did you expect?"

"I thought . . . I'd be alone, or maybe with you or Sora." Riku hisses when Axel's chakram connects with Xion's arm.

"You _are_ with us!"

"I have Xion," Riku says quietly. "I guess . . . I didn't count on falling in love."

Mickey chuckles. "I know the feeling."


	93. Pain

**Thanks to...**

**Aika08 (Yay for things that make you go, "Aww!" LOL. Thanks!) for reviewing,**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (Protective Riku FTW! LOL, glad you liked it!) for reviewing, and**

**MonMonCandie (Maybe bipolar KH Mickey is—seriously, all nice and happy one minute, severe anger problem the next... LOL, thanks! It's adorable, bid Riku with wittle Mickey Mouse...) for reviewing!**

**Hey, Sakura Scout! If you're reading this, I forgot to mention something in my review yesterday. Of course Sora's the best man; Roxas would strangle Riku before Xion ever got to the altar, LOL, and he's the only other person that would be _appropriate_ for that spot. Just wanted to say that here, y'know, insert another little plug... XD**

* * *

"I think if it was going to be healed with magic, it would've happened by now – ah!"

"Sorry! . . . No one ever focused on healing your wrist. What I'm worried about is the fact that it's been over two years since this happened."

Xion's cool fingers ghost over the scar, but pain still lingers. Honestly, he doesn't see how this will work . . .

_"Cure."_

He hisses as a sudden flare of pain spikes up his entire arm, snatching his hand back suddenly. Xion smiles when he freezes, then turns his hand this way and that. "Pity it doesn't get rid of scars."


	94. Feathers

**Thanks to...**

**DGMSilverAirHead03 (:D She kinda is, isn't she?) for reviewing, and**

**Aika08 (Yup! 'Bout the only time anyone would have had a chance to heal it would have been in the World That Never Was; knowing Riku and the way he was acting at that time, he probably used a potion and wrapped it up—we'll say the potion didn't completely heal it, which isn't impossible, as little as those things are by the end of KHII—and told everyone to wait until he was home, and then gave it up for unusable. :P At least, that's what I'm thinking... Eh, it's probably healed and taken care of already. Thanks!) for reviewing!**

* * *

"I still can't believe you're allergic to feathers."

"Yeah, you me-achoo! – mentioned that," Riku wipes his nose disgustedly.

This is the funniest thing she's seen since the last time he got sick, what with his eyes swelling. "I mean, you're Riku, the silent and tough Keyblade Master, and yet feathers are your downfall?"

"Besides you." Instantly he has her back against the door of their room, and Xion can't remember what she wanted to say as his lips brush against hers and move to her shoulder. . . .

"Achoo!"

At least he didn't sneeze on her. Xion laughs to hide her disappointment.


	95. Chain

**Thanks to...**

**Xion's Person (Aw, don't sweat it none. I hate it when the computer's down. :P I don't know why Riku screws things up; I think he's just that unlucky of a person. When he fixes stuff, though, it stays fixed. XD.) for reviewing,**

**CylentKiaru23 (Thanks! :D It was his wrist where Roxas hit him with a Keyblade. He didn't heal it before he changed into Ansem, so I imagine that it's still injured for a while—have you ever read the _Inheritance_ cycle? It's kinda like when Eragon's back is all screwed up, just not as impairing as that.) for reviewing,**

**MonMonCandie (LOL, I guess it's a good thing he _doesn't_ travel with Sora more often—darn you, Donald Duck! For multiple reasons. LOL, eh, it wouldn't kill him to be less than perfect... although he's not on Santa's good list, ha, ha. Glad to know you liked it! I think he still uses it for little things—I'll have to replay TWTNW now—but it's probably not weight-bearing for very strong anymore, so no wonder you didn't know if it was broken. :D Of course you're awesome! You've stuck around this long, haven't you?) for reviewing, and**

**Aika08 (ROFL. I hadn't made that connection yet! Ha, ha, _epic_. Heh, heh, Riku's allergic to his own Keyblade... LOL, JK.) for reviewing!**

**Some eighty-nine drabbles later, I finally write the follow-up to 17._ Fail._**

* * *

Riku doesn't know where Axel's gone; that's his excuse for bounding through the mansion like it's his life on the line. His heart is beating furiously as if that were the case.

Xion has her knees drawn up to her chest, face down, but she lifts her head when he returns. "I waited for you," she explains softly, her eyes sad. He can feel her quake from inches away.

He is the last chain tethering Xion to the world, the only one left standing between her and Sora, and he's about to fail when she needs him to stay strong.

* * *

**The question becomes, how is Riku failing her? Is he going to let her go, or will he break down and ask her not to leave? Either way, even in this AU Xion fades back into Sora, this time of her own accord.**


	96. Beach

**I'm thinking that this might be the official night that Haruki comes into being... which, if we follow the order of the drabbles I had planned, means that Xion was pregnant with Haruki during the final battle with Xehanort. Whoops. Definintely not seeing something like _that_ in KHIII, huh?**

* * *

Riku is far fiercer and more meticulous, passionate, and desperate tonight than ever before. The weight of his body, the warmth of the sand and his hands traveling up and down her sides to rest on her waist, the sound of the waves of Destiny Island—of home—they all comfort her.

"I love you," he murmurs between kisses and pants. "I'll always love you."

Her throat closes, choking her as she tries not to cry and fails; instead she kisses him back until he understands. When they fall asleep on the beach, she can taste his tears with hers.


	97. Dream Come True

**Thanks to**

**MonMonCandie (..._Either way!_ LOL, I _hate_ it when I type too fast; I've completely screwed up an entire story by typing/editing too fast. :P It's all good, though, 'cause I still got your sarcasm. Anyways! I'm always glad to hear reactions; both drabbles were saying goodbye in a way, one "permanently" and one just in case. Darn you, Disney! Actually, darn Tetsuya Nomura, 'cause he's the one that's leaving all these pairings to be ambiguous.) for reviewing,**

**Sakura Scout (I know! If we could skip the teenage hormones and Axel's innuendos, etc., we could actually make something cute and family-oriented out of it... however, skipping those would be _so_ cruel and kinda OOC. Darn Disney values... [Although, they had a little bit of scary content in Tangled...] ROFL. That poor kid—he's already done for because of "Uncle" Axel, and now _everyone_ has an advantage. Ha, ha, ha...) for reviewing,**

**CheshireRedfern for favoriting "OHS," alerting it, alerting _me_, and favoriting me (I'm gonna go cry now, just because I'm one of those crazy people that likes to cry whenever something nice happens to me... LOL, JK, thanks ever so much! Hope you enjoy the last few chapters!),**

**Aika08 (Ha, ha, the first time I read your review, I was like, "Well, crap..." and then I thought about Xion waddling around with a baby bump trying to fight. You are completely right: _ludicrous_. ROFL. Actually, that is meant to be a night or two before the big, bad, scary fight, so Haruki wouldn't even have fingernails at that time... LOL) for reviewing, and**

**Hollow Rabbit Hole for favoriting this story!**

**I have nothing to say about this prompt. It speaks for itself for once... Three drabbles to go! Enjoy.**

* * *

So, their happily ever after isn't perfect.

Riku still broods some nights, and the Darkness will never truly fade from his grasp. Xion still has her self-doubt about how well she can protect what she cares about, and scars fade but never disappear, although the reasons for them have vanished. They both have nightmares, and some nights, they coincide.

Xion can't force herself to complain, though, and even if Riku tells her when living day-to-day is getting harder again, he never really does. This is still a dream come true: neither will ever be alone as they once were.


	98. Victory

**Thanks to...**

**Aika08 (And now it's two more to go... Sob. Thanks so much! I'm going to tease you now: You _suck-up!_ LOL, JK. More like the other way around; if I could actually communicate better with Tetsuya Nomura I'd probably sell my mother for a chance to look inside his brain and see how he operates. The man is a genius... an evil genius, for stretching this series out so long and connecting everything so beautifully... but a genius...) for reviewing, and**

**MonMonCandie (Rawr! I know, it drives me insane... LOL. :D Good to know. And they get a happy ending in my "book," anyway. :P) for reviewing—did you know that we're probably going to end this our challenges on the same day? XD—and**

**CheshireRedfern (completely understand. LOL, you're welcome for the warm, fuzzy feelings of specialness! At least, they're warm and fuzzy for me... XD LOL, even the Disney Princesses' happily-ever-afters kinda get screwed up in KH—they all lost their hearts at some point. :P I agree, that's the most important thing: always be thankful for what you have. :D I'll be updating every day 'til Friday! We'll see where inspiration takes us after that. I probably should force myself to update once a week...) for reviewing!**

**So, I had this written about half-way through the series when I forgot to write the names of my next drabbles in my notebook before I went to class. Second-to-last prompt!**

* * *

Xion is panting, leaning on her Keyblade, and a little bloody when Riku finds her in the swarm of survivors at last, but she's alive and grinning when she sees him.

Riku's feet pick up the pace, gently moving through the crowd, then steadily more impatiently as more people converge. Xion is running, too, wide-eyed and looking desperate.

And then they meet in the middle. Without waiting for anything, Riku sweeps her up and kisses her fiercely.

Finally, _oh, finally,_ they've won. Xehanort is defeated, they are victorious, and maybe now they can think about their happily ever after.


	99. End

**Thanks to...**

**Aika08 (LOL, :D Hey, my mom is one of those scary-awesome brainstormers; if someone could translate into Japanese for her, she'd be awesome with character development. It's terrifying being her child sometimes. XD Score for me! I'm not the only person picturing the final battle that way... BTW, this is the challenge series with two "Snow" prompts, so I doubled them up into one large chapter in 54. Ever since chapter 56 this has been running one behind, which is extremely irritating to me. :P Don't worry, though; I have bonus material for reading this all the way through to make this an even 100 chapters.), and**

**MonMonCandie (XDDD! Score! LOL, glad to hear that made you happy! Well, here it is: the last real prompt. *Sniffle...)**

**Well, guys, here it is. Chapter 100. The end. Wow. We made it. (I'm reminding myself of Fuu. Not cool.) LOL, well, enjoy the final prompt of WaterAngelAlyssa's 100 Theme Challenge as written by Amatus! I'll post the bonus chapter tomorrow. For the penultimate time, please enjoy...**

* * *

They stand on the little island with the paopu tree, facing each other and hands connected between them.

"We're at the end," he murmurs. "What are you going to do now?"

Xion notes the "you." He's been anticipating and dreading today, always convinced that this is merely a happy interlude that they both needed. They do, but it's more than an interlude.

"This isn't _our_ end." She lets go of his hands to reach up and wrap around his neck. "I'll go wherever you go."

And Riku has never looked this hopeful in the entire time she's known him.


	100. Bonus Chapter  Outtakes

**Thanks to...**

**Aika08 (LOL, I know exactly how you feel. My baby's all grown up now and on its own after today... :'( I hope you enjoy the bonuses!) for reviewing,**

**CheshireRedfern (Okay, is that song by OneRepublic? If not, who is it? I "collect" music... I was really happy with how well that last line came out; it was just the right amount of hopeful. It's probably one of my favorites, too. I didn't really like Riku overly much until I started writing this, and then I had to start thinking about why he is the way he is. I gained a whole new appreciation for that character. Can't blame ya for liking Vanitas a bit more, though. XD I'll see what I can do!) for reviewing,**

**MonMonCandie (I can't either. Wow... I've been working on this for how long? LOL, thanks so much! Congrats to you, too! Glad you liked it. :D) for reviewing, and**

**Sakura Scout (Yea! Y'know, I think I hear an echo... Sounds like... a fangirlish squeal... LOL. I've been thinking about either starting a second challenge for the heck of it without limiting it to a pairing, but if I don't I'll have to make a point of updating at least once a week. Any suggestions for me? *Clinks glass full of apple juice.* Cheers, friend. *Tears up.*) for reviewing!**

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**Folks, we've come a long way. One hundred days or so ago, I was just starting to see how well Riku and Xion could relate to each other; now they have a kid. :P So, as promised from the day I merged the two "Snow" prompts together, I present to you the "outtakes" in that long and winding way.**

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**The first outtake I present is from prompt 25, "I Know." I rewrote the drabble because, while there was some definite RikuXion, there was more Xiora than anything, but I still liked the story. I present to you "I Know"...**

The third time she catches Sora watching her a bit too closely, she calls him on it to see that delightful blush.

"Don't tell Riku," he chokes. "I rather like life."

Apparently he _likes_ how she's wearing her shirt today, too, but she takes pity on him. "Wouldn't dream of it," she tells him. "I know. Some days . . . I'll see you or Roxas, and it's hard to ignore the way Kairi feels about you then. I've even caught Riku staring at Kairi or Nami once or twice."

Xion turns away, missing the regretful look on Sora's face.

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**The next is the first version of "Mistletoe," prompt 27. I don't know, it just missed something that the second version had.**

It's a relief to find Merlin's house in the barren, snow-covered streets . . . at least, at first it was.

"Oh, _Riku_, look up!" Sora calls as Riku and Xion finally stumble in the warm house. Riku wishes he hadn't – the green leaves are planted right between them, and everyone's watching.

Riku pecks her on the lips as quickly as possible and attempts to escape the limelight, but Xion won't let go of his arm. "I thought it was supposed to be longer than that," she giggles, and kisses him again, just to finish mortifying him.

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**Prompt 29, "Say Please," has two alternate versions. At the time I wrote the first one, I wasn't sure about posting something as obviously "steamy." I'm pretty sure you guys will like this, though—goldeneyes713 was surprised that I wasn't all that cracked up about it.**

"_Riku_," she whines, clutching his shoulders; he's pretty sure that tomorrow there will be crescent shapes, and within the week Xion will be clipping her nails, but it doesn't really hurt now while he feels so _high_.

He leans down, whispers in her ear, "Say please," and grazes his teeth along her earlobe.

"_Please_, Riku." she begs, and it's unexpectedly adorable and predictably maddening, with her face as bright as it is, with her wide eyes hazy yet focused on him, and while he won't let her know it, Riku's melting in her grip.

He gives in too quickly.

**The second one was funny, but, again, it didn't have enough of a pairing. I'm not saying that Xion isn't feminine, though—she just isn't quite as **_**girly**_** as Kairi gets made out to be.**

"Riku, tell me you're not going to make me do this."

"Do what, Xion?"

"Riku, come on. You can't expect me to go _shopping_ with those two, can you?" she spits.

"Yeah, I can. It's not going to kill you to be around girls your age for once, you know."

"Oh, just say I don't have to go."

"Maybe if you say please."

"Please, Riku, _please_."

"Alright, you don't have to go – "

"YES!"

" – with me and the guys today, since you never spend time with the girls."

"Do you want to be castrated?"

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**The original version of "Princess," prompt 59, was a lot less cute than the posted drabble and was intended to imply that this is at some sort of mass and public funeral for Riku, despite the fact that his body was never found (a. k. a. He's not dead! Yay!). It's a quick examination in the differences among Kairi and her variants and again explains why I can't see Riku paired with any of the other girls (even though Aqua's not mentioned here; she's too old . . . even for Riku). Plus I always find it fun to examine two people from a third person's point of view.**

Sora thinks that the girls are all princesses in their own ways: Kairi in Heart, Namine in manner, and Xion in duty, and even those definitions of their characters are up to interpretation.

He knows, though, why Riku picked Xion. She is still different from them, always will be.

For example, if Kairi or Namine had been given her loved one's Keychain, like Mickey does to Xion now, Sora's sure she would burst into tears. Xion, however, bites her lip and clenches her fist around the chain; no one will see her weep here. She's too strong, just like Riku.

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**The non-sappy versions of 71, "Valentine," were some of my favorites—the posted one because I got to use some of my favorite lines from Reverse/Rebirth, and this one because it was pretty fun to write...**

"Axel, was it you? It's not from Roxas—the handwriting doesn't look like it's a kindergartener's."

"Hey!"

Sora hunches over in laughter, practically choking on his own breath. Beside him Riku leans back in his chair with a smile fighting its way onto his face. Oblivious to all this are Xion and Roxas, swatting at each other as Axel takes a Valentines card from Xion and examines it.

"This is awesome, man," Sora chuckles. "Thanks for letting me tag along."

"Thanks for getting the card to her. How long...?"

Suddenly Axel looks up at Riku, narrowing his eyes and pointing.

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**Hey, MonMonCandie, do you remember our conversation about how Xion is a bit of a runner? Number 75 was the first time I ever realized that, and it came out in both versions of "Runaway." This is another way Riku and Xion are similar and can connect to each other better than or as well as RikuNami or RokuShion (at least to me).**

"This is where you were born, right?"

Riku tenses, and Xion almost regrets asking. "Yes."

"The girl that I look like – your friend Kairi, she lives here, too?"

"Yes." Riku watches the waves wash the shore.

"And you haven't talked to her?"

"Could you face Roxas yet?" Riku snaps. Xion drops her gaze; she hadn't realized. . . .

"I won't stay here until it's safe for them." He sighs, turns to face her. "We're the same that way, aren't we? We're the runaways."

He puts a hand on her shoulder momentarily, his way of apologizing, and turns back to the coast.

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**I really, really liked my idea for 78, "Ash." It was written a few days after the **_**Fringe**_** season 3 finale, when the main character Olivia Dunham's future self is killed by her crazy-as-hell father-in-law and her funeral is shown.**

God, he feels so much older than he already is, and thanks to Xion, he's survived a lot longer than he ever imagined.

The tiny pyre with Xion's tinier body bobs on the waves as her namesake carries her over the horizon where he used to think new worlds awaited; the fire consuming it flickers brightly in Haruki's eyes. Riku can't see the ashes, but it's almost as if he can taste their bitterness.

They taste nothing of the girl they used to be.

Riku and his son stand on the shore until long after Xion is out of sight.

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**I mentioned in 81, "Stick Together," that I had a drabble with Xion and the Muses. Here ya go, direct interaction with Disney characters for the final outtake drabble I give to you.**

"Riku?" Xion's eyes are wide and her face pale. "I think we need to stick together."

"What?" he chuckles. They're all alone in this garden; the only sound besides her breathing is the splashing of a fountain.

"Don't leave me here alone." Warily she glances at the nearest statue, then leans forward and whispers loudly, "The statues are singing to me. About saying I'm in love."

"I've heard that happens around here. We need to go, anyway." He wraps an arm around her shoulders as he leads her away.

In Atlantica, he finds out exactly what she's been dealing with.

**Ha, ha, Riku tries to sneak off with Xion in a boat to go make out or something... _and the fish follow them_. This last part was inspired by a video I saw on YouTube using the Spanish version of "Kiss the Girl" with Riku and Xion. It was pretty cute, actually. Have fun solving the jigsaw puzzle below if you want to watch...**

**Http:/ /www. youtube. com/ watch? v=rx1s1qvkZF4&feature=related**

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**This is the full version of 92, "Shield," which does nothing more than talk more about how Xion pulls an Aqua. :P Still, I like this version better.**

Xion isn't Aqua; she's not brilliant at magic, but helplessness doesn't suit either.

Riku, Sora, and Xehanort are high above the seas of Heartless she and the others are fighting, and another wave of nausea washes over her when Riku is sent flying to the edge of the plateau.

Idiotic move, paying too much attention to them; a Heartless scores her back, forcing her to turn away to finish it off, and when she turns back, Riku has gotten up and is airborne.

Her heart stops when he's knocked back again, Xehanort's hand rising, and without a second thought she points her Keyblade at him and cries, _"Reflect!"_

Good thing, too, because Xehanort sends a fatal spell that never lands, dissolving her shield.

Even as she falls to her knees, gasping for air, she grins. They can do this much.

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**Final bonus! This isn't a drabble, but it directly ties in with baby Haruki's childhood. I was thinking about writing a series of shorts with Riku, Xion, and Haruki, but I don't think I'm going to do that—it sounds a bit cliché. As such, I'll give you this taste of what could have been.**

Haruki doesn't _really_ know what his dad does, only that it's important – a point that he always gets made fun of in school, and sometimes some of the other kids say he doesn't have a dad and call him one of those nasty b-words that Dad tells him not to use, but he's learning how to keep a stiff upper lip like Mama taught him. Mama says she had the same job for a long time, but she decided to stay home with her baby and raise him properly.

"Do you miss your job?" he asks once over supper. Mama pauses in scooping up another bite of food and tilts her head at him thoughtfully.

"I miss being with your father when we worked together," she answers, and Haruki can hear the wistfulness in her voice. "Sometimes I worry about him more than I would if I was with him, _but_ . . ." She reaches over to run a hand through his hair. ". . . I like my new job better."

"New job?"

"Being your mom. Speaking of which, don't keep taking out the green beans." She chuckles at Haruki's pout. "Oh, they're not that bad, really. Try mixing them with something else on your plate. . . ."

Apparently all the grown-ups here at home know who Dad is, though. There was this one time that Haruki remembers at the grocery store, way before he asks about Mama's old job. Mama had to pay with a piece of paper with her name on it instead of regular munny, and the cash lady barely glances at it before she runs it through while Haruki sneaks away from the two to look for suckers under the electronic boxes, like normal –

Except that the cash lady does a double take and gapes at the paper.

"Miss, is there something wrong . . . ?" Mama asks kindly.

"That's – Riku – " The lady turns to Mama. "Then you would be Riku's . . . _wife_?"

"Yes." Mama's voice is weird, weird enough to make Haruki look up from three aisles away.

The cash lady's voice is even weirder. "I didn't realize he was married. We don't see him very often. . . ."

"I see. Haruki?" Mama's voice goes back to normal when she says his name. "Where'd you go this time?"

Uh, oh. Caught red-handed! Mama turns around to find him with an empty sucker container.

"Haruki! Get over here, silly." Normally Mama would be scolding him up, down, and sideways, but instead she sweetly walks over, takes his hand, and leads him back to their aisle, petting his hair.

"D'you have candy, ma'am?" That's how Uncle Sora taught him to ask old ladies for munny, and even though the cash lady is only Mama's age, maybe a _little_ younger, he's pretty sure it'll work like a charm.

The lady, however, stares worse at him than she did at Mama's paper, particularly his eyes. "Of – of course," she murmurs, blindly reaching for the magic cardboard box under the electronic boxes, never looking away.

"Thank you, ma'am!" Haruki greedily unwraps the sucker and pops it in his mouth as Mama gets all the groceries herself-though usually she'd take the help from the one kid who asks all the time—carrying all the bags like they weight nothing.

The next school day, he tells the other kids to ask their moms who Riku is, 'cause that's his daddy. They stop teasing him after that, but they're still not his friends.

**My mind tells me that even if Sora and Riku don't want to tell anyone about their adventures, the populace of Destiny Islands is going to hear about it anyway. However, how much have out main thirteen characters of this series suffered on account of the Keyblade? _Tons_. Tons and tons and _tons_ and tons. Xion would know about that, and it's my belief that, as a mother, Xion would try to avoid the same fate for Haruki by not telling him anything about a Keyblade in hopes that he would not accidentally call out to a Keyblade when he needed it, if he should ever need it. There, my brain has explained itself.**

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**And, as promised, I bring you the order of these 100 snapshots in my head. Even if you don't care, I hope you have some fun with this. If any of these are out of order, sorry and feel free to tell me which ones need switching.**

**358/2 Days: 1, 57, 25, 61, 88, 35, 2, 30, 5, 18, 83, 66, 4, 6, 26, 12, 53, 74, (28,) 82, 8, (17, 96,) 9, 76, 29**

**Between: 42, 14, 31, 32, 84**

**Pre-kiss: 13, 87, 79, 7, 45, 54/6, 65, 36, 34, 15, 51, 80**

**The Kiss: 10, 63, 60, 67**

**Post-Kiss establishing: 38, 81, 62, 77, 21, 39, 40, 3, 55**

**Xion's near death: 24, 11, 52**

**Growning closer: 27, 44, 94, 59, 37**

**Maleficent's curse: 47, 73**

**Very close: 49, 90, 19, 93**

**Vanitas: 68, 33, 78**

**In Love: 22, 20, 43, 16, 89, 71, 95, 41, 91, 46, 85**

**Symbol: 50, 70, 75**

**Closest, end KHIII: 58, 64, 97, 92, 99, 100, 98**

**Haruki: 23, 86, 69, 72**

**Alternate Universe only: 48**

**Have fun re-reading if you'd like!**

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**Well, guys, it's been fun, but there's nothing left here for me to write for you. (Don't worry, though, I've got a bunch of other little drabbles in the same style as this challenge that I might consider posting if anyone wants to see... Hint, hint.) Thanks for reading, everybody, and I want to especially thank the following for repeated reviews, fun conversations, and awesome theory-bouncing:**

**DGMSilverAirHead03—You're the first consistent reviewer I got. Can I ever thank you enough for sticking around so dang long? Ha, ha, thanks for all the funny reviews!**

**Sakura Scout—what can I say? You were the first person whose heart I broke, and I can't describe how excited I was when you began your own RikuXion series. Thanks a lot for inspiring me, and good luck!**

**MonMonCandie—Speaking of people who reviewed a lot... LOL, we had some pretty cool theory discussions, and thanks to you, the number of stories on this profile went up another one. :D Thanks so much!**

**Xion's Person—I definitely owe you a big thank you. To me, you had some of the cutest and coolest things to say in your reviews, so thanks for telling me straight-up!**

**And just because your name isn't on that list doesn't mean I don't want to hug you and be overly-emotional and all that blah. LOL, I want to thank Starry Requiem, Roco, Dream Adept, Namine18, CylentKiaru23, Raixfeather, Cheese, Veinrider, Radiant Silver Star, CloudKittyVII, Aika08, and Cheshire Redfern for reviewing, too!**

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**"One Hundred Suns," a Kingdom Hearts fanfiction  
Began writing: March 4, 2011  
Finished writing: May 20, 2011, for a total of seventy-eight days of writing  
Finished posting: July 1, 2011**


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